Code Geass: Second Generation
by Could be more Original
Summary: A miracle? Or perhaps it was just another one of the many mistakes Zero made during his rebellion. Lelouch saved the world, but now, can his son save him from himself? Can Lelouch once again find the will and reason to live on? LLxKallen, PostR2
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Code Geass obviously isn't mine. How can you be sure? If it was, the ending would have been different. T.T

_Chapter One_

"Ash?"

Entirely oblivious to the muffled voice in the hallway despite the fact that the voice belonged to someone undeniably close to him, a young boy of six sat at his table. The room he was in was luxuriously large and decorated, sparing no expenses whatsoever. Furniture of the highest quality dotted the vast bedroom, including a tall four-poster bed that was obviously too large for a boy such as himself. Born to such surroundings, Ash barely paid any heed to these things. Rather, swinging his feet back and forth – his legs couldn't quite reach the floor yet – his hands worked diligently, his face a mask of determination.

"Ash? Do you hear me?" the voice called again but still, it fell on deaf ears. Licking his lips, the boy readjusted the table lamp for the umpteenth time before refocusing on his tiny project.

Ash was always remarked as a 'handsome little boy that took after his father'. Ash, himself, had never really been sure about the 'handsome' part but the later always pleased him beyond words. He was skinny, almost to the bone, despite all the efforts of the people around him. He had very tame red hair but his mother had always said her favourite part of him was his violet eyes. The expensive clothes he wore were actually quite plain, much to his relief. He was excused from all the stuffy clothes that filled majority of his closet when he wasn't due anywhere.

"Ash? Are you in here?" One side of his double door entrance opened, letting a small stream of light from the hallway stream into the dim bedroom. A curious face peered in, his expression a mixture of worry, puzzlement and the slightest hint of frustration. His hair was blond, and his eyes were blue. Wearing a formal white uniform, a gold-trimmed green mantel was draped over his arm, evidence that he had just escaped from the clutches of a meeting with someone high up in the status quo. Catching sight of his quarry seated quietly in the corner, relief softened his features.

"So there you are," Gino Weinberg said, coming from behind the lad.

It was then when Ash looked up, startled. However, that expression was immediately replaced with one of clear happiness. "Uncle Gino," the boy greeted.

"Hello there," the knight grinned widely as he ruffled the boy's hair, sending said boy into a fit of giggles.

"Stop that, Uncle Gino," Ash protested half-heartedly.

"It's punishment. Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to find you? You had me screaming my throat hoarse for you, and you didn't even bother answering back. I'm still waiting for my due apology."

"I'm – I'm sorry," the six-year-old squealed between giggles.

"That's right," Gino said with a tone of mocking finality. "Now what on earth are you working on that you would ignore your favourite uncle?"

Ash gave his self-dubbed 'favourite uncle' a toothy grin before presenting the fruit of his labours. "See!" he said proudly, almost beaming.

Gino raised an eyebrow at the small paper figure no bigger than a child's palm. A purple origami crane sat silently on the table while its creator looked expectantly at the knight, waiting to be praised, no doubt.

"Wow, kid," Gino half-exclaimed. "This is great. It's perfect! Did Empress Nunnally or Sayoko teach you this?"

Entirely pleased with his uncle's approval, Ash shook his head at the question. "Aunt Nunnally was going to, after she told me about them, but then someone came in and asked for her. I figured it out myself after she showed me hers."

Gino blinked, shocked. He figured it out himself? Origami wasn't exactly child's play. Gino knew he couldn't do it, at the very least, not unless someone showed him the steps first. And yet, this boy, at a glance of the finished model, was able to mimic the art without flaw. Gino always knew that Ash was a bright lad with a knack for puzzles but truly, it was moments like these when he looked at him, and he knew, without a doubt, that he was his father's son. In a way, it was as scary as it was amazing.

"I'm sure your mom would be proud she's got such a bright kid for a son."

There was a pause as Ash fidgeted in his seat, as if debating if he should say something. Finally, he gathered the courage to. "Father too?"

"Yea…" the older man confirmed with a soft knowing smile, barely hiding the melancholy in his words. "Him too."

The fidgeting did not end though. "Hey, Uncle Gino, did you know?" His small hands fingered his paper crane. "The Japanese believe that if you make a thousand origami birds, your wish will come true."

"Ho? Do you have a wish, kid?"

Ash pursed his lips in thought. "I have a request," he offered, neither confirming nor denying Gino's enquiry.

"You know, with your status, you could order me in a heartbeat. There's no need for you to request anything of anyone." Gino pause before adding with a small laugh. "Except maybe your mother. I don't imagine she'd find it amusing for you to be ordering her around."

"I'm serious here," the child protested though he did giggle at the thought of ordering his mother to do something. He'd probably be grounded for a whole year. "Besides, your 'Uncle Gino'! I can't even begin thinking of ordering Uncle Gino to do anything."

"Alright, alright, you sweet talker, what do you want?"

"Uh…" Ash stammered, the usual air of confidence around the boy evaporating. "Could you… take me to see Father?"

Ash knew for a fact that his uncle wouldn't deny him. His mother would probably have made up some excuse but not Uncle Gino. At least, he hoped so. It was the frown on the man's face that shook his confidence. He knew he was asking for too much but –

"I just want to see him."

That line seemed to be the decisive one as, after a moment longer of thought, the blond sighed. "Alright, but only for a bit."

Immediately, the boy's face brimmed with joy.

Ten minutes later, both males stood inside a moving elevator. Honestly, Ash felt a little bad for saying what he did, even if he did mean every word. Aunt Euphemia would say it was just being truthful with yourself; Aunt Cornelia would say it was just getting the job done; Uncle Schneizel, however, would plainly say that it was being manipulative. Ash watched impatiently as the numbers on the screen slowly decreased as he held his paper crane protectively in both hands.

"Only for a bit," Gino repeated again, as if Ash would forget that fact in the blink of an eye.

"Mhm."

"You do know what to tell your mother if she asks where we've been, right?"

"Yup. That we were _not_ visiting Father."

Gino groaned. "Don't say it like _that_. She'll know for sure that way. Say I took you out to play in Tristan or something."

"But Uncle Gino… I'm _six_."

"So?"

"Tristan is a giant knightmare that blows up buildings. I don't think mother would approve of you taking me out to play in Tristan… In fact I think that's worse than visiting Father."

"Crap, I forgot about that."

"That Tristan is a giant knightmare that blows buildings up?" Ash grinned, "Oh, by the way, you're swearing again."

"Yes… uh, I mean no. I mean sorry." Realizing that he was making a fool out of himself, his Uncle Gino playfully shoved at his head. "I will not be made fun of by the likes of a six-year-old."

"How about we were playing with Arthur?" Ash continued innocently though he had yet to wipe off his grin.

"What about chess? You like chess."

"Yea... but you hate chess, Uncle Gino."

"I could learn to like it."

Ash looked at him sceptically. Gino looked back.

"Let's go with the Arthur story," the blond said finally, moving his attention back to the shifting numbers.

"Are you teaching me to lie to my mother, Uncle Gino?"

That was the final straw for Gino as the man strangled sighed. "You're definitely your father's son; I can never win with you."

Ash just grinned.

There was another stretch of silence as the numbers dipped below ground floor.

"Why doesn't mother like me coming down to see father?" Ash said, reverting to his child self.

Gino looked askance at the lad. "It's not that she doesn't like it. Well… you'll understand someday."

The six-year-old's eyebrows creased. "I want to know now," he half whined. "I'm sure that if everyone trusted me a little and told me, I'd understand."

"You'll understand when you're older."

"That's what everyone says…"

"If everyone says that then it must be true."

"It's not fair."

Something flickered behind Gino's eyes. "No, the world isn't."

_DING._ It was like a burst of excitement inside himself.

The moment the elevator doors open, all argument was forgotten as the boy rushed out, taking down a long corridor, leaving Gino to follow. He was already waiting at a steel door for the older man who was sauntering at his own pace.

"Hurry, Uncle Gino!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

It seemed like an eternity before Gino got to him. Ash watched in anticipation as Gino pulled out a black card and held it up to the scanner. Light blinked across the screen. A robotic voice emerged. "_State your name and rank, please._"

"Sir Gino Wienberg, Knight of Two."

More lights blinked.

"_Identification verified. Access approved._" With that, the door unlocked and swung inwards.

With something akin to a suppressed whoop of joy, Ash hurried inside. After all, Uncle Gino had said this visit was 'only for a bit'. He was oblivious to the fact that the knight hesitated for a while at the threshold before entering after the boy, a steely expression on his face.

The room itself wasn't big but it was spacious. It held a table to the left and a chair that was placed beside a long machine. Apart from its grey exterior of metal, the top portion of it was cylindrical with an orange glass cover. It was a machine very familiar in the eyes of the knight, to ever veteran of war, in fact. It was a Britannian Infirmary Capsule. He even knew the inside of one very well and had, more than once, visited a friend under these circumstances. Whether this situation fit into that category was quite another question. Ash was already pulling the chair across the room and mounting, being too short to see the inside of it otherwise.

"Good evening, Father," Ash greeted, pressing a palm against the cold glass. Stepping further into the room, Gino came to see the face of history's most notorious person: the 99th emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, the Demon Emperor, Lelouch vi Britannia.

Lelouch was… just as he always was: regal and calm, albeit give or take seven years older. Black locks of hair framed his face that was a mask of serenity. If nobody was the wiser, they would think him asleep, though, that wasn't too far from the truth. He was taller now, dressed in silver-trimmed black in a fashion that befitted a member of the Royal Family. His arms were calmly by his side, one of which was pierced with a single needle that connected to what looked to be an IV drip. Beside that was a screen with a constantly moving green line making regular beeps that measured his heart rate. All in all, it was a demon king sleeping in his coffin, unawares to the time flowing by while he slumbered, refusing to acknowledge the world and its happenings.

To Gino, he was a man that bathed the world in blood, a man that deceived everyone he loved, a man who, quite frankly, saved the world from itself and died with a smile on his face.

God, how he _hated_ Lelouch vi Britannia.

"—so I had to figure it out _all on my own_," Ash was saying. "It was a bit confusing at first but I got it in the end. Uncle Gino said that I was really smart! I know that I only made one but it's a start anyways. Hopefully I'll finish the rest before my next birthday so you can come have cake too."

Gino's throat constricted.

"I think Mother would like it too if you came," Ash said, lowering his tone. "I think she'll a little lonely."

That was much more than the knight could stomach. "Ash, we better get going."

For a moment, he expected Ash to start protesting again but true to his word, the boy just nodded slowly. Looking at the paper bird, he considered before looking up at Gino. "Can I put this inside?"

Gino just nodded. Moving to the capsule, he pushed a combination of buttons and the orange glass slid up and off. It was strange looking directly at Lelouch like this. It had always been either behind the mask of Zero or behind the orange tinged glass. He was even more haunting. Ash's gaze lingered for a while. It was then when Gino realized that this was probably the boy's first time looking directly at his father as well, sans orange glass. Recovering, he reached for his father's hand – the one without a needle – and turned it over. With that, he placed the purple crane in the silent figure's palm and, without a word, withdrew gracefully even though it was clear he wanted more time to stay.

Ash vi Brittania was, through and through, a Britannian Prince.

Said prince hopped down from the chair. "Goodnight, Father," he bid before turning around. He paused mid-action and added an afterthought. "Don't worry, there's still lots of time before my birthday. I'll finish the others by then so don't worry."

Neither having the strength nor the want to say anything, Gino closed the capsule again. Just as he was about to turn around to follow the prince out the door, Ash spoke again, but this time, it was not to him and not to Lelouch.

"Mother." His tone was both surprised and calm.

Gino, however, was not so apt at keeping his composure. Turning around, he came face to face with the raised eyebrow of a flaming red head. "Kallen," the knight gulped. "What a nice surprise."

"What a nice surprise indeed," Kallen replied flatly. In her mid-twenties, Kallen was a voluptuous woman with a fiery attitude. In that sense, Gino supposed that Kallen hadn't changed at all. He had yet to get used to the Kallen that wore dresses instead of pilot suits but both looked equally good on her in his opinion. Today, she wore a deep red one that set off her colour of her hair very nicely. Gino wished time and time again that that was the only thing that changed about her but no matter how you looked at it, something always haunted behind her blue eyes these years… or rather… someone.

Gino suddenly had the urge to pour a handful of needles down a certain person's throat.

"Ash, isn't it past your bedtime?" Kallen asked. "What are you doing here?"

Gino_ prayed to God_ that Ash wouldn't say that were playing with Arthur.

"Just saying goodnight to Father," Ash said. Gino didn't give the boy enough credit.

Kallen's gaze softened. "That's nice," she said. "I'm sure he heard you. You should go to bed now. Classes start early, remember? I don't want you sleeping in class."

"But I never do," the boy protested.

"And I don't what you to start. Now, go on ahead. Your Uncle Gino and I are going to have a little chat first."

"Don't get mad at Uncle Gino," Ash said, "I was the one who wanted to come."

"I know," Kallen said, nudging the boy in the direction of the door. The boy then bode both adults goodnight and went ahead.

Both waited for his footsteps to diminish and the sound of the elevator moving upwards. "He's a good kid," Gino said.

"He is," she said, averting her gaze.

"How long were you there?"

"Long enough."

"I must be losing my touch then."

Kallen offered a small smile. "Maybe." She walked into the room to stand beside Gino. Her blue eyes skimmed the orange-tinted sight for the millionth time, willing, wishing for him to open his eyes. She then caught sight of the crane in Lelouch's hand. "I just…" She searched for the words, shaking her head. "I want him to know who his father is but I don't want to put too much hope in him... in case Lelouch doesn't…" The sentence was left unfinished.

"You know," Kallen said, unusually calm, "Rakshata and Lloyd say that there's nothing wrong with him physically. He just doesn't want to wake up. He doesn't lack the will to live, but it's actually worse than that: he wants to die." Both scientists were actually more engineers than medical doctors but their knowledge of science, inclusive of Cecile's seemed adequate for the task. It couldn't be helped since they couldn't trust anyone other than those who already knew concerning Lelouch's survival. Rakshata insisted that there wasn't much of a difference between a human's body and Guren's body. Although Lloyd had agreed, Kallen had been a little worried about that statement…

"He'll wake up," Gino said suddenly with a confidence spawned from all faith and no evidence.

Kallen eyebrows drew upwards. "Are you going to fill me with false hope too?"

"He'll wake up. It's not a hope; It's a fact."

"Thank you… Gino. I… needed to hear that, I think," the female said before turning around. "I'm going to see if Ash is in bed so I'll head back first. Goodnight."

And then the knight was alone. Well… alone minus the breathing corpse of a demon king. Running a hand through his hair, he stared accusingly at Lelouch's oblivious face. "I'm not much different from you now, am I?" he said, even though he could just as well just be talking to a wall, "I'm also lying to the people I care for. Thanks to you, I might very well have to swallow needles myself. Then, what are you going to do about that?"

Shaking his head at his own monologue, Gino made his way towards the door. Stopping at the threshold again, he looked back. "You better wake up, you hear me?"

With that, he shut the door, effectively locking the chamber where the most blood-drenched emperor to date rested.

Unbeknownst to all three who graced his chamber that night, though, Lelouch's fingers seemed to tighten weakly around the purple origami crane for a fraction of a second before relaxing.

The Demon Emperor slumbered on.

* * *

><p>Ash wandered into his bedroom, dejected.<p>

Nobody _ever_ told him anything; nobody _ever_ wanted him to hear anything. He was a child, physically, but really, he wished everyone would stop protecting him from something he didn't know a thing about. Closing the bedroom door, he sighed. He held another white crane in his hands. He had folded it on the way up to his room. After all, a thousand was a big number. It was then when he noticed something.

He was not alone in the room.

Looking up, he saw her: a woman with long, green hair and dressed in a white outfit, possessing an alien beauty. She stood at his table, as if waiting for his return. When she saw him, she smiled. A smile mixed with hints bitterness. It reminded him of the way his mother smiled. She walked over to him with cat-like grace.

"Who are you?" the young boy asked.

"Me?" she echoed. "I'm… a witch."

"A witch?"

"Yes, a witch."

Alarm bells rang off like no tomorrow. A part of him wanted to run from the room and find help because he knew, he just knew, this lady with green hair was dangerous in her own way. However, at the same time, he was mesmerised. Her gold eyes flickered to the crane in his hands and he instinctively turned his hand over, protectively hiding it. She smiled again and knelt down so that she was eye level with him.

"I know many things because I'm a witch," the woman said. "For example, your father… he'll wake up very soon."

At the single mention of his father, Ash completely shut out his alarm bells. "He will?" he asked, careful and slightly wide-eyed.

"Yes, but he'll leave again very, _very_ soon."

That line alone crushed him. He could feel unbidden tears rise up. Why? Even though all that statement was, was words. They woman could be lying, saying things with no basis. He learnt from Uncle Schneizel never to trust people too easily, especially people he didn't know. He had no reason to believe this… witch.

And yet… he did.

But what could he do?

"You don't want it to end like this, do you?" the woman continued, purring, taking down his defences. "Do you want the power to keep your father? To keep him here with you and your mother? To stop him from leaving?"

Reaching out, she touched his overturned hand lightly. Ash was too stunned and shaken up from the fear, the reality of his father leaving, the possibility of never seeing him again, to react. His father couldn't leave when Ash hadn't even gotten the chance to be with him yet.

"Do you have a wish, little boya? If so, shall we make a deal?"

* * *

><p>Author's note:<p>

I haven't written in a long, long time, mostly due to myself finally taking school seriously. However, I've just finished the biggest and meanest highschool exam and am faced with a six month break (although I will be working, I think). So I thought: why not? I'm sorry to say that while I have full intentions of finishing this project if it is well received, I won't be continuing my old series, mostly due to the fact that I can't quite remember the fine details of the animes I based them off.

I've been meaning to write this for quite some time now. I'm honestly not sure if this is a good story or if I have enough material to make it a good story xD. So meh, I thought I'd put up the first chapter to see how well it's received.

I personally am more of a LelouchXCC girl than a LelouchXKallen one but for the sake of the storyline, it had to be this way. So yea, let me know what you guys think.

Until inspiration visits me again,

Could be more Original.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Code Geass obviously isn't mine. How can you be sure? If it was, the ending would have been different. T.T

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 2<em>

All around him was a white expanse. Here, nothing mattered much. Not time, nor fortune, nor beliefs or principles. Here, everything and nothing existed. There was no pain or anguish but in turn, it was void of the warmth of joy and happiness. Here, he was finally alone. No, that wasn't quite right, was it? He was always alone. From the day he ceased to solely live his life of lies, he condemned himself to eternal isolation and solitude. In a way, it was… peaceful, if just a little lonely. Not that he had the right to complain but again, it was not like anything mattered. He had nothing to concern himself with anymore and suddenly, he had no more burdens. He had taken care of all his loose ends, and he had accomplished all his goals. That left the question of why he was here though. A good question was 'where was "here"?' At first, he had thought about it but he had long since given up on caring for his predicament. As long as he was here and alone, there was no one he could hurt, harm or love. That was enough.

'Alone', however used to the word he was, was a strangely… cold word though, he found.

The soft padding of footsteps that echoed softly around him from all directions made him look up from where he stood, staring into whiteness. If fear or worry could exist in this place, it would have surely shaken his heart for a fraction of a second. _Not another person_, was what he thought. After all, every single human soul that existed around him was a tragedy waiting to happen. He was cursed, it seemed, and he had very much hoped that if he stayed in this place, he could seal off his curse from the rest of the world. Wait… why was his thinking of the world? Surely, if he was dead, then even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to affect anything in that place.

Surely, if he was dead, then he had nothing to worry about.

The footsteps continued for a moment longer before stopping. He knew he was no longer alone but he refused to concern himself with that fact. Tragedies couldn't happen in the life after death, right? If they could, what would have been the point of dying? He had taken pains to make sure that the bloody chronicles of his life had ended with nothing less than what suited him: despised. That's right. He had written his last pages with crimson ink and closed the book on his life. There had to be some sort of divine law against the existence of such a corrupted creature on Earth. A swish of green hair fluttered in the corner of his eyes.

"Oh? I never took you as the kind of person to believe in a higher order, Lelouch," C.C. said, her tone as mocking and impudent as he remembered from the days when he had killed with her by his side.

"Are you joking, Witch?" the former emperor asked without looking back at her. "I personally witnessed them and prevented their death. How could I not believe in their existence?"

C.C. snorted in amusement. "I guess. So… how long do you intend to stay here?"

Lelouch frowned, unsure if this was another one of the riddles or mind games that C.C. loved playing. How long did he intend to stay here? The witch had worded it as if he had the luxury of choosing how long he was dead – very funny. If that was true for all human beings, likely, Zero would never have been born, and he would still be a prince of Britannia. "As it happens, C.C., I like being dead," the Britannian said matter-of-factly. "For once, you and I both agree on something. I used to wonder why this was your ultimate wish but now I only wonder how I couldn't understand it before. Now, if you're a figment of my mind's imagination or a result of my guilty conscience, I'll thank you for momentarily breaking the monotony of my afterlife but I'd rather you not."

"Oh? You have a guilty conscience concerning me?" she mused, actually sounding pleased.

"Well, I never _could_ hold up my end of our contract. Not only did I agree to, I also promised to. It does mar my conscience a bit seeing as I always try to keep my word. I fully intended to."

"Then you should have just taken my code before Zero Requiem. Then, everybody would win."

Lelouch didn't answer immediately. "You know why I couldn't," he said slowly. "It would have jeopardized everything."

"Lelouch," C.C. called out, her tone becoming a notch louder and far more serious. "Tell me, do you really think you're dead?"

It was at that point Lelouch turned around to gaze at the woman full front. It was C.C. alright and nothing had changed about her since the last time he saw her. Immortality was truly a curious thing. However, it was something Lelouch would never dabble in, no matter what. Any hell would be better than that. Lelouch sympathized with her on that point. It was also then when it occurred to him: if C.C. was here, did that mean that she was dead as well? Immortal, skillful and full of secrets as she was, even Lelouch doubted she had the ability to trespass between the living and the dead. Perhaps she had found herself a contractee more capable than himself, after all. C.C. _did_ have an eye for these things.

"In honest truth, I thought hell would be a lot warmer, C.C.," Lelouch said, refusing to play her game.

"This isn't hell."

"Would you know?" Lelouch returned, his tone challenging. "Are _you_ dead?"

C.C. held his gaze for what seemed to be a second and at the same time, an eternity long. "No, Lelouch, I'm not dead."

The corner of his lips twitched upwards in spite of himself. "Couldn't find a suitable plaything?" he half-joked.

"As a matter of fact, no, none quite as interesting as you."

Was it him or was her reply that time too… flawless? Perhaps he was just overthinking things. It was her last statement that bothered him a little. The Britannian Emperor paused to consider the hidden meaning behind her reply, if there was one. It couldn't be. There was no possibility. He plainly refused to believe there was one. However… just to be sure… "I'm not alive, C.C." He hadn't worded it as a question. Instead, it sounded more like a debate point in his ears, as if he needed to prove that fact to himself as well.

"I wouldn't call you alive, Lelouch, but you are certainly in a place where no one can reach you, or so I thought."

She held back saying something. Lelouch, after all his years living false lies and facing people who were never truthful with him day after day, he knew very well when people were lying, telling the truth, or simply hiding facts. The last part of her reply… Could it be that C.C. was just as surprised she was able to contact him as he was?

"How is it that you're here then?"

"You and I, dear Lelouch, have always had a special connection." She walked towards him again, closing the remaining distance between the two beings. "All the factors are ripe now and it's time for you to wake up."

"I refuse," Lelouch said, steely and automatically. He blinked, his own voice catching himself in surprise. Wait, did that mean he knew he could accept?

"Just as you always have been these past seven years, but you no longer have the luxury of staying here," C.C. said gently, circling her arms loosely around his neck. A new type of dread, one he didn't think existed in this realm, filled his heart. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in so long a time. The mild expression on C.C.'s face smirked suddenly. "Besides, aren't you curious about what kind of interesting things sprouted from the _ashes_ of your little rebellion?" The emphasis was so subtle that Lelouch thought he had imagined it. His mind raced, trying to comprehend two hundred things at once. It screamed to push her away but his body wouldn't obey him. His heart raced just as fast. For Lelouch vi Britannia who didn't fear death, he knew there were worse things.

"I once told you why snow is white," she continued, her face edging towards his. "Tell me, Lelouch. What, then, is the original colour of snow?"

Before Lelouch could answer, their lips met.

And then, after seven years of not feeling anything, sharp and piercing pain shot through every fiber of his being as he felt himself harshly crushed backwards by a sledge hammer. The wind was entirely knocked from his lungs; air felt like it was just out of reach. His vision blurred, and his head spun at marc two. The floor wasn't where it was supposed to be as it swallowed him whole. He was falling, plummeting. Or was he drowning? Lelouch, for all his worth as a genius and prodigy, couldn't manage to put two sensible words together before he blacked out completely.

Somewhere far away, at a distance that couldn't be measured by any unit, a green light that had been continuously jumping regularly for seven years suddenly flatten out totally, causing a single shrilling beep to echo in a hollow room.

An alarm on the wall sprung to life.

* * *

><p>Kallen hugged herself as she stepped out of the elevator, subconsciously offering herself the solace she wouldn't allow anyone else to give her. Part of her couldn't believe herself. She was Kallen Kozuki, Ace of the Black Knights, Captain of the Zero Squad and recently promoted Knight of One. Yet, even as she was fabled as the strongest Knightmare Pilot of this century, she could be so weak at times. She had always been nothing but strong – strong for her mother, strong for Zero and strong for herself – but now, though, she could feel herself falling apart piece by piece every year she had to celebrate Ash's birthday without <em>him<em> or every time she went down to visit _him,_ but wouldn't wake up no matter how many times she called out to him. Expecting every year, full of hope, but being let down every time. She was so, so tired. In the first few years, it had been her keeping the faith in others alive for Lelouch's return. It was she who insisted they spare nothing in order to bring Lelouch back. She thought, and she still did now, that they owed the prince-turned-emperor that much at least. Now, however, she couldn't seem to gather that kind of faith anymore.

Honestly, how could she fall so far? She was, by far, the only known force able to rival that of Suzaku's in his invincible Lancelot when he was Knight of Zero all those years ago when he was alive. It was the same Suzaku who single-handedly defeated half of Britannia's Knight of Rounds in the blink of an eye. No one held a candle to the teen except her. Admittedly, she did only come out on top of their final duel by the smallest margin and survived only because Gino was there.

Gino…

Since that day, since Ash's birth, it seemed as though the chivalrous knight had become the mother and child's saving grace in the absence of Lelouch. She wasn't blind to what Gino was offering and what he had been trying to do all these years and, heaven help her, it would be so much easier on both Ash and herself if she just accepted. Both Ash and she would have been spared from so much pain, but she selfishly couldn't. Kallen knew Ash got along well with Gino and the man, caring and gentle as he was, would take Ash in as his own without question. If only she asked. It would have been so easy if she concealed the truth from Ash's fragile heart from the start and allowed him to grow up with a father's love. Maybe it would have been better if she did things that way. It pained her to know that she had the power to prevent the disappointment her son suffered every day but didn't choose to use it.

But she just didn't want to make any more mistakes where Lelouch was concerned. What if he did wake up? How would she explain to Ash? Worse, how would she explain to Lelouch? Lelouch had trusted her and, although she had failed that trust so many times before, she wanted to trust him too, wholeheartedly and against all odds like he did with her. She had made so many mistakes before this, and she wasn't prepared to commit another.

And… she was still so in love with the man.

The day Lelouch finished Zero Requiem, Kallen's heart froze. It was only because of Ash that it didn't die completely. She was fond, very fond, of Gino. However, she knew that if she accepted Gino's feelings, it would only turn around and hurt him in the end. Even if there would be temporary comfort, there wouldn't be any happy endings because for everything Kallen didn't know or would never see, she knew for sure, without a single shred of doubt, that she was fully in love with Lelouch vi Britannia. Her heart would never belong to anyone else, not even Gino, and there was no way she could hurt her dearest friend like that.

He deserved so much better than her.

As she came to Ash's bedroom door, she composed herself. It was bad enough that the situation was like this. She cringed to even think of what Ash would become if he were to see his mother void of hope and faith for his father. She had to be strong for Ash now. That was what she had to focus on before Lelouch came back to them. For a moment, she debated whether or not to knock, to risk waking the boy up if he had already gone to sleep. Kallen instead opted to ease the door open to check first.

The tiny opening was enough to get her a good glimpse of the bed, of which, was perfectly made and perfectly… empty.

The first emotion that swelled up in her: fear.

"Ash?" Pushing the door entirely open, she was faced with a vast bedroom void of life, and her mind raced. Ash had always been a respectful and filial boy. Even in the furthest corner of her memories, she never recalled a single occasion where Ash had disobeyed her. Maybe there were one or two occasions when she saw Lelouch's stubbornness and pride shadowing behind his eyes but never had he pointedly ignored what Kallen told him to do. If he wasn't here, it could only mean that something had happened. Stepping into the room, she accidently kicked a small object, making her look down.

What she saw panicked her even more: a white origami crane.

She had seen him holding a white piece of paper when he left Lelouch's chamber. Ash had been here, but now he was gone. A kidnapping? Damn, when it came to Ash's wellbeing, she always assumed the worst. Seeing nothing in his room that would help her find where her son was, she ran out and straight into Gino's chiseled chest. "Kallen?" the older male blinked in surprise at the woman's hurry as he held her shoulders to stabilize her in case she lost balance from the collision. "What's the matter?"

"Ash," Kallen managed to gasp, panic tightening her throat. "He's gone."

Immediately, the knight's features hardened. "Don't worry," he said, "We'll find him. He's definitely safe somewhere."

Kallen just nodded, unable to respond in any other way. God, she failed to hold on to Lelouch, she couldn't afford to lose Ash as well.

At that moment, two lights blinked to life. One flashed on Gino's wrist while the other on Kallen's chest. Lifting Guren's key, a memento she kept around her neck at all times, with one hand, she inspected it. It took her worried mind two seconds longer to register the meaning of the red light. She exchanged horrified looks with Gino who had also understood the signal embedded in his black glove. A red light meant that Lelouch's heart had stopped beating. Immediately, Kallen left like crumbling right there and then. She swore, Gino must have been holding all her weight for her to remain standing.

"Kallen!"

Lelouch was in trouble. Ash was missing. What was she supposed to do? Search for Ash and risk not being there in the last moments for Lelouch or go to Lelouch to be by his side at the risk of Ash's safety.

"Kallen, you go to his side," Gino said, the efficient soldier in him resurfacing, "Leave Ash to me." When she still seemed indecisive, Gino shook her insistently but not harshly. "Kallen, trust me. I won't let anything happen to Ash." Kallen swallowed hard but nodded again. "I'll definitely find him," Gino said, satisfied with her answer. With that, he dashed down the corridor. Kallen took a moment longer to find her legs but she too, dash down the corridor in the opposite direction, back towards the elevator that went all the way down to where Lelouch was.

* * *

><p>Gino's chest rose and fell heavily as he ran.<p>

Definitely, he would not fail Kallen like Lelouch did.

* * *

><p>Kallen burst out of the elevator, out of breath. A number of people were already there standing in the corridor outside the door to Lelouch's chamber, including Tohdoh, Ohgi, Cornelia and Schneizel. They all looked up when she arrived, their faces all grim. Since Lelouch's 'death', friction between the Britannian nobles and the Japanese had considerably subsided. However, most people were still a little wary of Schneizel even though his loyalty was guaranteed by Zero himself. Cornelia was the generally more welcomed one but no one objected to the older brother's presence now. From inside the room, he could hear the muffled but clearly anxious voices of Lloyd and Cecile. Occasionally, other sounds of machines and equipment being pushed around would reach those outside. It couldn't be helped that they weren't entirely systematic inside, seeing as with machines, they never had to worry about the engine stopping and not being able to restart it in time.<p>

"Cecile, pass me the Adrenaline Shot," the older male was saying.

"Stats aren't improving; heart line: still flat," Cecile informed, "He's not breathing. At this rate even if we jumpstart his heart, his brain will die from lack of oxygen!"

"Connect him to the A.O.B.P.!" Lloyd shouted back without hesitation.

"How is he?" Kallen breathed to no one in particular, her own brain refusing to process whatever the two scientists were saying.

The people around her exchanged silent glances. It was Ohgi who spoke up. "I'm sorry but it doesn't look good right now, Kallen."

Good, old Ohgi. Always truthful and completely tactless.

Kallen pressed her back against the cold steel walls, not trusting herself to stay upright otherwise. No one said anything else after that. Moments trickled by as the two scientists continued their makeshift work but Kallen's sense of time had evaporated. She didn't know how long after that it was but eventually, Kaguya, Nunnally and Zero arrived. From what she could grasp from the bits of conversation that occurred occasionally, Rakshata was outstation and Lelouch was currently resisting all forms of modern medicinal technology to come back to life. The bastard. Nunnally offered a few words of comfort but she hardly listened to them, preferring to just nod.

More time passed and suddenly, the room inside had gone very quiet… too quiet.

A moment later, the door opened to reveal a very grim looking Cecile. Kallen knew the words before Cecile said them.

"I'm sorry," she said, her gaze dropping to the floor. "There's nothing else we can do."

* * *

><p>Kallen had never seen the quiet empty room Lelouch slumbered in this full or chaotic before. Medical instruments that she had never seen before lined the room, some clearly pushed aside after producing no results to make way for other ones. Lelouch lay across the open infirmary capsule. Whatever Lloyd and Cecile had done behind closed doors, they made an effort to return Lelouch to his presentable appearance for he looked no different from usual if just a little tousled.<p>

Both Nunnally and Kaguya were quietly sobbing. Kallen… well, she had run out of tears a long time ago. Zero, whoever he was behind the mask, was silent as he pushed Nunnally's wheelchair but even with the mask on, he looked… distracted. Schneizel wore his usual calm expression but even then, he looked detached. Cornelia looked on the verge of tears but held them at bay. Kallen supposed that even though Lelouch and his siblings had their differences, they did, to some certain extent, care for each other. Slightly scared at how calm she, herself, was, Kallen walked over and knelt beside Lelouch.

"Lloyd," the second princess was saying, "Are you sure nothing else can be done?"

The Earl wiped his sweaty palms with a piece of cloth, his face told all those around that no one was more disappointed in him than himself. "Medical technology is very advanced now. It doesn't take much training to administer a shot to chemically jumpstart the heart. We followed standard procedure but no matter what, His Majesty wouldn't respond. Even if you had doctors present, the result would not differ. In a way, it's ironically befitting of His Majesty. Just like how he survived seven years ago, his death cannot be medically explained."

Kallen wasn't listening.

_He's just sleeping. He's just sleeping._ She just couldn't tune her mind to think anything else, it seemed, but she knew better. If she continued to hope, she'd just be hurt again. Kallen reached out and took his hand, noticing that the crane Ash put there was now gone. It must have been knocked away when Lloyd and Cecile were rushing around. Lelouch's hand was cold, void of a pulse. It was then when she felt something wet slide down the side of her face. Only by feeling with her own flesh was she unable to deny the absolute fact that stared at her.

Lelouch was gone. He's dead. This time for good.

Resting her forehead against the edge of the capsule, Kallen cried.

"You bastard," she forced out, pained and strangled. "You haven't even seen him yet." There was no question who 'him' was.

_I didn't wait seven years by your bed to see you die like this without opening your eyes, damn you. Open your eyes! Open your eyes for me. Open them for Ash! I swear, you have no right to die on us!_

Thump.

Kallen's head shot upwards. Did she imagine that faint pulse in his wrist?

Thump. The jump came again, firmer and surer.

Dare she hope?

Willing herself to look up at Lelouch's face, she whispered, "Lelouch?"

* * *

><p>Lelouch was in pain, great and excruciating pain. It was as if the Gods finally noticed they forgot to put him in Hell these past seven years and decided to dump all the pain on him all at once. He would have cried out and screamed himself hoarse but he was stripped of the luxury to do so as the pain robbed him of his voice. <em>Just lose consciousness. Why can't I just lose consciousness?<em> Did his body's natural defense against pain grow rusty or did it just forget to kick in?

And suddenly, as quick as it had hit him, the pain vanished.

He was lying on something soft, breathless. Precious air filled his lungs once again. Like a man starved for it, his first breath was a deep and greedy one. His head had stopped spinning but now everything was unnaturally still. It was… unnerving. Then his senses were graced with a feeling that did not belong to the five. The atmosphere felt so… full? No, that wasn't the word. Crowded, he corrected himself.

Pause.

Oh god.

He was pretty sure his heart skipped two beats when he realized what this long forgotten feeling was: people. He was surrounded by _people_.

"Lelouch?" a shaky voice ventured. He knew that voice.

No, it wasn't possible. He had died. People don't just… come back from the dead when they want to. It was highly illogical and against all universal laws of nature. For everything he was unsure of, he knew people did not come back from the afterlife. Everything else in life could be uncertain but death alone was. He could count on that, right? Right. Maybe Hell was just a little different from what he was told when he was younger. Maybe there was neither fire nor demons of hell. Rather, maybe they just tortured you with the sight of people from your past. Dread filled his gut. An eternal fire forever scorching his body, he could take. People from his past? God, no. This wasn't the death package he had signed up for!

However... being logical, there was no way he could be back among the living. In that case, he needn't worry too much. Even if hell was different from what he thought, he would, at least, still be dead.

Right. He was going to open his eyes and see fiery pits of lava, burning bodies and demons drinking tea together.

_Three… two… one…_

Lelouch opened his eyes. His vision was blurred at first but it soon cleared, allowing him to register what he saw. Correction: the people he saw.

Fuck.

* * *

><p>Author's note:<p>

*bows* Thank you all so much for reading chapter one, readers! Thank you even more for reading chapter two after that lol. After re-reading the previous chapters a few times, I was honestly very disappointed with myself at the sheer number of mistakes I made x.x; I swear my brain thinks one thing and my hands type another. I even skipped whole words D8. So thanks again for reading despite the errors. I really should get a beta or at least my sister to proofread my chapters…

Thanks, especially, to my reviewers and the people who added Code Geass: Second Generation to their favorite/alert list.

And nah, Lordban, I'm not evil ^.^ Maybe C.C. is but I've only ever been called sadistic lol. (or masochistic, hehe.) I have this inhumane need to put my characters through long journeys of pain and suffering before I feel satisfied (._.) Thanks for nitpicking! I really appreciate it.

I also want to say to my curious readers, if any: don't bother googling the medical things that Lloyd and Cecile used. o.o They. Are. Not. Real. Or at least, I didn't do any research on them so if something else has the same name, I didn't mean it. I just figured that in their time and century, potential to create something more advanced than what we have in our world is pretty high in CG universe. I would tell you what A.O.B.P. stands for in my head but I would be embarrassed xD.

So, here's where we stand: Ash has been captured by C.C. (or has he?) and Lelouch (unknowingly committed adultery x.x and) is awake. It's time to face the music.

Oh, don't forget to review~ K thanks.

Until inspiration visits me again,

Could be more Original.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Code Geass obviously isn't mine. How can you be sure? If it was, the ending would have been different. T.T

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 3<em>

The paper crane fell from his fingers.

Ash had waited his entire life and longer for his father to wake up. Nothing in the world would seem right until then, he convinced himself. In the blink of an eye, six years with no signs of improvement for his Father's situation had passed. However, while his Father's chances of waking never increased, they never decreased either. That, alone, was enough to keep his hope alive. At least, that was true until this witch came. Could Ash say that she was a bad omen? She was the one proclaiming that his Father would leave but then, she couldn't be. After all, it was she who told him that his Father would wake up soon and was offering him a way to keep his family together.

That was right. He could do it. With this witch's help, he could keep his family together. Then, all three of them: his Father, Mother and himself, they would live happily ever after. Ash didn't need anything more than that. He didn't care about any more than that. He only wanted for the three of them to be together.

"I can give you this power but in return, you have to do something for me," the witch continued. She pulled back a little so that golden orbs met violet ones. "That's fair, don't you think? A wish for a wish, I'll grant yours if you grant mine." Ash considered this. This concept wasn't strange to him. Uncle Schneizel had once told him that Ash couldn't expect to get anything for free and to expect everything to come at an equal price. The younger prince once thought it was nothing short of a weird concept. Whenever he helped Danaë or Shiraishi with something, he never expected them to pay anything. However, it seemed like Uncle Schneizel was right in this case. Besides, it was not like he and this Witch Lady were friends like he was with Danaë and Shiraishi. It was only natural to want something in exchange for something else, right? It seemed fair. But if it was just like what Uncle Schneizel said, then this… power thing that the Witch Lady mentioned had to come at a pretty high price.

"What's your wish, Miss Witch?"

The witch seemed taken aback, as if this was the first time anyone ever said that to her. Whether it was the title that shocked her or the question, Ash never found out as she masked her surprised quickly with a smile. "I'll tell you eventually," she said. "If you want to make this contract with me, though, you'll have to obey some conditions."

"Conditions?"

"Yes, like rules," she cleared up. "Every game needs rules, right?"

Ash nodded, unsure of how else to reply.

This pleased the Witch Lady for her smile grew wider. She thought for a bit, as if considering something. Her self-debate only lasted for a second, ending it with a small chuckle at a private joke she didn't share. "I only have one condition," she said, holding up one slender finger. She lightly touched Ash's lower lip with the same finger. "You must not tell anyone of me or this power – absolutely no one. Not. One. Soul."

"Not even Mother… or Uncle Gino?"

"Not even them," the witch confirmed, and then added as an afterthought, "and especially not your Father. Can you promise me you won't tell them?"

Ash wrung his fingers together under the witch's intense gaze. "What if… what if I do?" he asked tentatively. Realizing how bad it sounded, as if he would break his word on a whim, he quickly clarified himself, "I mean, by accident."

"That's simple. Your father will leave."

Ash hushed up and retreated within himself, needing no more convincing than that. He felt as though if he stepped outside a thin line he couldn't see, he'd lose the chance of keeping his family together.

"Accept this contract, and I'll give you the power to keep your Father, but you must also accept this condition. Are you prepared for this?"

Ash was scared. All of a sudden, he knew he should have bolted from the room the very moment he saw this green-haired witch. He didn't know why but he did, and it was too late now. This was for his Father. With that thought in mind, the fear all but disappeared from his mind. Then, very slowly, Ash nodded. "I accept, and… I promise I won't tell anyone."

The witch was pleased.

* * *

><p>Gino rounded the corner of the long hallway, his eyes darting from corner to corner in efforts to spot his quarry. His heart pounded loudly in his ears as he could focus on nothing more than locating the missing boy. In daylight, Ash's hair was quite obviously a rich auburn, making it easy to spot him from a mile away but in the dark, it might as well have been black in color. It was at night when he truly resembled his half-dead emperor of a father. The knight darted down corridor after corridor, having been reduced to looking for Ash himself because of the youth's circumstances. It was only after an unknown time had passed when he started cursing Britannian nobles for seeing the need to have such large residences.<p>

A thought then struck him out of nowhere. After a sudden burst of inspiration, Gino found himself sharply turning and heading for a familiar room, banishing the part of him that told him it was nearly impossible to find the boy there since said room was practically on the other side of the building, not to mention Ash wasn't allowed there. He didn't understand, but he had a good feeling the boy was there. The door within sight after a few more minutes of running, he pushed open the doors, out of breath.

There, Ash looked up at him. "Uncle Gino?"

"Ash," relief swept over the knight. "What in the world are you doing here?"

The boy held up a little grey feline. "Arthur got into my room," he claimed, "I was putting him back in his cat tree."

Gino blinked. That was… a lie, wasn't it? A poor one, at that. Ash knew he wasn't supposed to wander into this part of the building alone, even if it was at night. If Arthur was in his room, he would have just kept the cat with him for the night or until someone came, offering to take the feline back to its room. "O… kay…" the knight frowned. Why would Ash lie to him though? He shook his head inwardly, surprising himself by insisting himself to drop the subject. Ash… probably had his own reasons right? In any case, he needed to get Ash back to his room and check on Lelouch. He just hoped nothing bad had happened.

"Is something wrong, Uncle Gino?" Ash's brows creased suddenly.

"Wah—" Gino always knew the boy was perceptive but…

"Is it Father?" Ash put Arthur down and ran towards him. "I want to see him… now."

Gino knew he shouldn't. He had no idea what the situation was like downstairs. It was too sensitive a case to handle carelessly. He knew he should deny the boy this one time until the situation was more stable however... seeing the boy like this…

Gino just nodded.

* * *

><p>Immediately after opening them, he screwed his eyes shut once more. This shouldn't be happening; this couldn't be happening. Perdition, this <em>was not<em> happening. All around him, it seemed as if everyone had started talking at once: asking him if he was alright, how he was feeling and if he needed anything. However, those voices seemed like they were thousands of miles away. His own emotions were in turmoil. How exactly was he supposed to react in this situation? Tempted as he was to just freak out, he had to be calm about this. He needed to think. He needed to confirm the situation he was in and rectify the problem: him being alive. But, god, this would all be so much easier to do if it wasn't for the splitting headache steadily growing, gnawing at his patience and sensibility. Whether it was the result of his brain being abused right after years of rest or him trying to make some sort of sense out of his sudden resurrection, he didn't know, and frankly, he didn't bloody care. He only knew he had to right this wrong. God, they hadn't even allowed him the indulgence of hoping he was still dead. He had seen Nunnally among the gathered.

Then, the faint buzzing in his ears toned down as the room grew quiet again. Someone had been smart enough to hush the crowd. Great. That made it slightly easier to think.

"Lelouch," Kallen's soft voice drifted to him again through his migraine. "Lelouch, say something."

Lelouch didn't answer. Instead, he lifted his arm, finding out that it weighed a ton. Nevertheless, he followed through with his action and let his hand fall on his face, his fingers spread across his eyes to block out the light, suddenly vividly aware of how unused he was to the brightness. He might have been staring at whiteness for the last god-knows-how-long, but it seemed like another story for his physical body. "Oh, _light_," a naturally annoying voice noted, figuring it out the man's discomfort. Lloyd, was it? The brightness that penetrated his eyelids dimmed. He didn't take away his hand though.

"Why," Lelouch's voice cracked from lack of moisture in his throat, "does it take five times the effort to lift my arm?"

His question stunned the room for it went very still, as if they couldn't comprehend the meaning of the simple enquiry. Lelouch wasn't going to rush them. He was too focused on fighting to keep his headache at bay so he could form proper sentences. "Lelouch," it was Kallen who spoke again, her voice sounded oddly strangled. "Do you remember anything? You've been in a coma for seven years."

Seven years. That explained his hindered motor activity. That ruled out the options of overpowering, escaping or committing suicide quick enough without being stopped. No, his only option was to outsmart them again, but god, how easier it would be if he was spared from this bloody headache.

"You all," Lelouch said slowly and forcibly calmly, unwilling to let them know how much pain he was in, "have some nerve to bring back the Demon Emperor."

"Lelouch, we already know everything. You can… you can stop being like this."

"Everything," Lelouch echoed. Taking a breath, he forced himself up, refusing to listen to the protests that sounded at his sudden movement. It was probably the hardest thing he had ever done physically but he refused to have this conversation lying down (in more than one sense), in a position where he was so vulnerable. His body felt so… disproportioned. _Everything_, Kallen had said. He doubted they knew _everything_ but, "in that case, I don't have to act anymore." In the lowest and most dangerous tone that seethed Hell's fury, Lelouch slowly ground out so that every single syllable was clean and clear, "Who gave you… the bloody _right_ to bring me back?"

The room went deathly silent as no one so much as dared to breathe. He had meant to stay civil but that line alone seemed to burst open a long withheld dam that held back a river of frustration and anger.

"Lelouch," this was a new voice: Ohgi, the same Ohgi who brought that Purist woman into their base and practically caused their organization to crumble from distrust, "We realize you're upset…"

"_Upset doesn't even begin to cover what I'm feeling!_" the Demon Emperor snapped back ruthlessly, suddenly taking his hand down from his eyes and striking the thin bedding of the capsule. He was too busy to notice whether or not the blow hurt. "As if stabbing me in the back wasn't enough, must you endeavor to ruin all my plans, even the ones concerning my _death_? As I recall, you all worked _very_ hard to kill me on more than one occasion."

"And we were wrong," Ohgi voiced stiffly. "We were wrong to have doubted you, but that's because you never trusted us either."

"And you proved, proved _so very well,_ that my trust was not wrongly placed," Lelouch countered. "You always doubted me, right from the start, no matter how many '_miracles'_"— he spat that word out as if it tasted foul – "I performed as Zero but you never rebelled against me. Only when _Schneizel_ offered you the bait, you gladly took it. Rebellion from the inside, I could understand – I was even prepared for it –but how is it that you all so readily took my _enemy's_ word against mine? Were you all that naïve or was he just that good at rearranging facts?"

"That's uncalled for, Lelouch," Kallen said, her infamous fiery temper sparking, "We saved you—"

"And what of it?" Lelouch demanded, practically shouting. "Did you expect me to _thank_ you? I don't even want to know how you managed to bring a dead body back to life!"

"You were never dead," a cool voice said.

Lelouch's eyes shot up at the sound of that familiar voice. Seeing Suzaku in Zero's uniform, his eyes narrowed. "_You_," the former Britannian prince said, "are the _last_ person I want to see or hear from right now."

Lelouch felt utterly betrayed by his only friend, as if Suzaku had conspired with these people to ruin Zero Requiem. Suzaku was unfazed as the mask of Zero lifted slightly. He could almost see the defiant expression on the Japanese's face through the tinted mask. "I stabbed you through the heart," Suzaku said, "but you didn't die."

"Then you should have left me to die, not try to save me!" Lelouch said, entirely missing the point, or rather, refusing to acknowledge that Suzaku was telling him it was nothing short of an act of divine intervention that Lelouch didn't die from the stabbing through a vital organ. His mind was far more insistent on knowing why his best friend didn't just let him bleed to death, as they had planned for the completion of Zero Requiem. "Didn't Euphy mean _anything_ to you?"

This time, the whole room froze; even Lelouch and the cloaked figure of Zero went very still.

Shit. Just by talking, just by not being dead, he was already endangering Zero Requiem by hinting who wore the mask of Zero now. How could he make such a mistake by associating Euphemia to Zero? He had to salvage this. His eyes move across the present faces, expertly avoiding looking at Nunnally. He could only imagine what kind of expression was written over her face. It was then when he remembered: he didn't know if he was wearing the geass-blocking lenses. Instinctively, he turned his head away from the people in the room to stare at his knees. "And you, Cornelia?" he said, catching sight of her before he turned away, "how does it feel to conspire with these people to keep the cold-blooded murderer of your precious Euphemia alive?"

He could feel Cornelia's scowl of hatred burning into him. That's right. Cornelia had always been the more emotional one — much like now Lelouch was when it came to Nunnally. There was no way she would have forgiven him for killing her precious sister. Provocation. He needed to provoke Cornelia, and hopefully, she would take his life.

"Her death was pitiful right to the end, you know?" Lelouch said smoothly, inwardly hating himself for every word he spouted that tainted the image of pure Euphy.

He resisted the reflexive response to look in her direction when she suddenly took a step forward, her hand on the hilt of the decorative but, nonetheless, sharp sword tied at her hip. "Lelouch, you—"

Another figure cut the princess off, words and action, with an extended hand: the White Prince, Schneizel el Britannia. "Enough," he said, calm but stern. The command was directed at both Cornelia and Lelouch but his eyes were fixated on the latter. Cornelia took a moment to compose herself but complied. "Provoking us won't work, Lelouch," his half-brother proclaimed coolly, replacing his arm by his side. "Enough is enough. What makes you think that we would so easily kill you after trying to save you for seven years?"

Lelouch inwardly cursed his once favorite and, at the same time, most hated half-brother. "There's always the Geass," the younger royal cut out.

The atmosphere seemed to turn tense and heavy at the mention of the Geass, the power that succeeded wringing the world from the grasp of the Britannian Empire. Everyone in the room visibly turned more defensive, all except Schneizel. "Actually, Lelouch," he said mildly, "I'm glad you brought that up." He gave Lelouch a gaze that the latter refused to return. "You can only use the Geass once per person, can't you?" Even though it was worded like a question, it was obvious Schneizel didn't need Lelouch's confirmation to be sure about his claim.

At this, Lelouch looked at Schneizel sharply but it didn't appear that he was done. Lelouch instantly knew that whatever the White Prince had to say, it couldn't be good. He had to shut him up.

"What—?" Ohgi and some others voiced. It seemed like Schneizel hadn't shared his revelation with anyone up until now.

"I always wondered why it took you so long, Lelouch," Schneizel said, ignoring the gapes the others were giving him. "Your Geass that commands Absolute Obedience was, is, too convenient a power. Yet, why did it take you so long since the unveiling of Zero until your rebellion."

"Schneizel…" Lelouch growled warningly but was unceremoniously ignored by the Second Prince.

"Your Geass, though powerful, has its limitations, it seems," Schneizel continued, his eyes narrowing, not unlike a predator cornering his prey. "I've taken the liberty to going through the history of your rebellion and I think I have a solid grasp on them. You require direct eye contact, a verbal command and a distance of not more than a hundred meters. Of course, if it is beyond the victim's abilities to fulfill the order, it can't be abided, and as I said before, you may only use it once per person."

It felt as if Lelouch was being stripped bare before the gathered. If only looks could kill. Schneizel, however, held his death glare with a steady and cool gaze.

"I also learnt from Bratley that the victim forgets performing the order during its execution and from Nunnally, that if it contradicts with your character deeply, its effects can be resisted for a while. Meaning, quite ironically, the only people that you've used the Geass on in this room since the formation of the Black Knights are myself, Cornelia and Nunnally."

Silence reigned again as the information was digested by the room's occupants.

"So, you mean…" Ohgi said, disbelievingly, "he's never used it on any of the Black Knights?"

Tohdoh's eyebrows creased and dipped his head downwards.

"What are you trying to prove, Schneizel?" Lelouch asked acidly.

Schneizel lifted his chin up a fraction. "You're not denying my claims."

A silent oath passed Lelouch's mind. Schneizel wasn't trying to prove anything. He just wanted Lelouch to confirm all his research was correct. And it was, give or take a little. He wasn't mistaken in any way that mattered, at least. He had used the Geass on Kallen before even thinking of forming the Black Knights, and he couldn't know Lelouch used it on Zero unless he knew Zero was Suzaku. As a side note, he probably knew, no, he did know that Lelouch used the Geass on the Honorary Britannian back then.

"But until now," Schneizel said, his tone almost unnoticeably more steely, "I can't understand why you ordered Euphy to massacre the Japanese."

Lelouch looked away, suddenly unable to meet his brother's penetrating eyes. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "You knew from the moment you approved of her plan: her innocence and ignorance was the ultimate weapon needed to disarm Zero's influence and reason to continue rebelling. I couldn't have that. Euphemia got in my way and I disposed of her using the most effective method by turning her into the villain."

"You insist of sticking by that story?" the older brother asked, placing a supportive hand on Cornelia's shoulder when she tensed.

"Facts can't be changed. How can you be sure it's not the truth?"

"Because," Schneizel said, there was a slight pause before he finished his sentence, "that's what I would have done." The air turned heavier at the Britannian Prince's frankness. "You and I deal with things differently, don't we, Lelouch? And, I know because you loved Euphy. She felt the same way for you when she was younger. Had you never been exiled to Area Eleven, there was little doubt you would have been her consort. You would never have killed Euphy in cold blood. If you really wanted to, you would have taken her life during the hotel hijacking. If you had a mind to, you could have used a double, lied, and Cornelia wouldn't be the wiser until the Black Knights were safely away. So I ask again: why did that day end with you killing Euphy?"

His face turned away from the crowd, Lelouch bit his lip and fisted his hand, so hard that it might have drawn blood. What business did Schneizel have digging up all his secrets from the past? _Stop. Just stop._

When there was no answer, the White Prince volunteered his own voice. "Lelouch," he speculated tentatively. "Do you have full control over your Geass?"

"_Shut up!_" Lelouch snapped so loudly and suddenly a few people jumped. Murder in his eyes, he glared daggers at Schneizel's unwavering gaze. "What does it matter how Euphy died? I'm the reason she's dead! Her blood is on my hands, and no matter what I do, I can't get rid of it! I killed her! I'm the reason she's not here anymore!" He forbade tears to fall now, not in front of everyone. He kept his face downwards, allowing the tendrils of hair to block his face from their view. His chest rose and fell deeply. He was suddenly tired; his migraine still ached.

Something akin to remorse flickered behind the older prince's eyes. "I never wanted to consider it. I always ruled out the possibility because I knew there was no way you would have allowed it but, Euphy's order… it was an accident, wasn't it?"

It was as if he had been stabbed through the heart again, except this time, it was far more painful.

"Was it that way with Shirley Fenette as well?"

"I caused Shirley's death."

Sharply catching the shift in vocabulary used, Schneizel pushed, "but you didn't kill her."

Lelouch's brow creased sourly. "Is there a difference?"

"You're protecting this innocent girl's low-life murderer?"

"Rolo never…" Lelouch stopped abruptly and cursed lowly, catching himself with wide eyes but it was too late. His lips betrayed him once again. He was talking faster than he was thinking now.

"Rolo?" Schneizel echoed, his tone darkening, "The imitation brother that Father replaced Nunnally with? In that case, it all makes sense. Your attack on the Geass Order right after that was revenge, wasn't it?"

"Geass Order?" Tohdoh spoke up for the first time.

"I believe that was the ordeal which served as the main reason why the Black Knights turned against Zero," Schneizel noted to no one in particular, half answering the Japanese general's question, not once taking his eyes off Lelouch. "I might have, to quote, rearranged facts, but the prerequisite suspicion had already been planted by Zero, himself. After that mission, there was a rumor that Zero led a massacre on unarmed men, women and children. Bratley disappeared around that time as well. I didn't employ Clovis' loyal aide without learning a few things. I've also confirmed all these facts with Cornelia."

Lelouch didn't react immediately. He felt numb all over. He had been exposed, wrung and hung out to dry by his most formidable adversary. So what if they all knew the truth? It didn't bring anyone back – not Euphy, not Shirley, not the thousands of lives he had taken. Wasn't it better if he had taken all these secrets down to the grave with him? And just what was the truth? All Lelouch knew was that he had failed to save the people that mattered most to him. His negligence and inability caused two very special people to die for his sake. There was no denying that he had killed Euphy, accident or not. He should have taken in the possibility that he would have lost control like Mao and taken precautions but he didn't. Shirley… if only she had never met Lelouch. If only she never cared for him. Then, she wouldn't have had to suffer, wouldn't have had to die.

"Why are you doing this?"

Schneizel straightened. "Because I'm the only one in a position to do so," he said, "because you insist on being misunderstood, and because you feel the need to bear every single burden on yourself."

"Are you done dissecting my head?" Lelouch asked icily, turning away again. "If so… _Get. Out_."

"Lelouch…"

"_Get the hell out!_"

He could feel his brother's gaze on him for a moment longer before it was moved. It was like being relieved of a heavy load. "Lloyd," he heard him say, "Remove anything and everything that's sharp in this room or could otherwise be modified into something that Lelouch can use to harm himself with."

"Your Highness," the scientist half-quipped awkwardly, "you don't think His Majesty would…"

"I _wouldn't_ discount the possibility," was all he said.

Damn that Schneizel down to the Seven Hells.

"As there's no point taking reason with you when you're like this, we'll lea—"

"Ash, no!" the muffled shout interrupted the prince from the outside.

The door swung open urgently.

As the door's sudden movement drew everyone's attention, Lelouch's eyes widened as he came face to face with… himself.

Surprise was quickly converted into dangerous suspicion. "Who—" _or what _"—are you?"

* * *

><p>Kallen was lost.<p>

This wasn't at all like what she thought their reunion with Lelouch would be, definitely not like this. She was prepared to see him distraught, confused and even upset. However, this was unlike the Lelouch she knew. His murderous glares, his hateful words, his bitter attitude… this wasn't like the Lelouch who held her. She had lost her voice for the majority of their confrontation with Lelouch and had clamped up entirely when Schneizel took control of the conversation. She didn't trust herself to speak. She didn't know what to say, though, at the same time, she had too many things to tell him, most of which related to Ash. She supposed for the entirety of the time she was absent from the conversation, she was trying to figure out the best way to break the new to him.

She had, unfortunately, run out of time the moment the door, having been left ajar when they came in, swung open, inevitably attracting everyone's attention to little Ash who stood there. The boy was wide-eyed, as if terrified. His expression soon changed, though. Now, registering what he had just done, he looked more embarrassed, self-conscious and uncomfortable.

Panic rose up in her for the umpteenth time that night when realization dawned. "Ash," she gasped in surprised. Turning back to Lelouch, she started, "Lelouch, this…" She was, however, cut off at the sight of his expression.

The former emperor had dangerously narrowed eyes as he too, tried to comprehend the sight. "Who are you?"

* * *

><p>Ash felt fear like no other. He had been walking down the corridor with Uncle Gino to his Father's chamber when suddenly, they heard shouting. Gino must have realized something was wrong because he immediately tried taking the youth back up the elevator. At first, Ash had complied but then he heard the scariest thing: his Father wanted to hurt himself and Uncle Schneizel wouldn't doubt the possibility. At that point, without so much as thinking, he freed himself easily from the unsuspecting knight and burst into the room.<p>

But if Ash thought Uncle Schneizel's words were fearful, that fear was nothing compared to what he felt when his father fixed him with a glare, coupled by a question voice in a tone that sent a terrifying chill down his the back of his spine. The six-year-old fidgeted under the older man's gaze.

"I… uh… I'm…" he gulped.

Gino appeared behind him at that point, looking winded and a little tousled. "Ash," he started but stopped, having noticed Ash's father. "Lelouch," he said, shocked.

There was a flurry of clothes and suddenly, Uncle Schneizel's tall figure blocked him from his father's view, allowing Ash to breathe again, funny since he didn't remember holding it. Come to think of it, he didn't remember shaking either, but he was. "Lelouch, listen before you do something you'll regret," Schneizel said. "I know you have questions but consider yourself. You can't compose yourself enough for a sensible conversation, and you know this too."

There was a pause before his father's voice came again. "Fine," he growled reluctantly. Uncle Schneizel seemed to relax a little but his father continued, "Just tell me who that is."

His uncle was on the verge of countering again when Ash grabbed a fistful of his clothes, halting him. Before anyone could stop him, Ash stepped out from behind his uncle's protective barrier. Biting his lower lip, he was afraid, but nonetheless, moved forward. Feeling more nervous than he had ever been before in his life, he bowed from the neck, just like how he had been taught so many times before. Straightening, he spoke, "I am Ash vi Britannia, Crown Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire. Welcome back… Father."

His mother suddenly let out a strangled sob, making him glance in her direction. "Mother?" he said, unsure. Did he say something wrong?

* * *

><p>Stunned. Speechless. The miniature him had called <em>him<em> 'father'? What the _hell_ was going on around here? When his eyes traced the faces around him, none seemed to want to meet him. Why? The shock, however, only increased when the boy opened his mouth again.

"Mother?" Lelouch echoed incredulously, looking sharply at Kallen.

Kallen's eyes looked away. "I was going to tell you," she said softly, hardly more than a whisper.

Everything started falling into place. The boy's appearance coupled by the reddish tinge to his hair, there was no denying the resemblance. He could see as much of himself in the boy's outlook as he did with Kallen. _Their son?_

"That can't be," Lelouch breathed, "we never—" He stopped short, as his eyes widened in remembrance, the memory playing out in his mind as if mocking him.

Shit. They did.

No. How was it that the situation he was in just got worse and worse? They did it just once. Conceiving after the first time? What were the chances? He couldn't have a son. He was the Black Prince, the outcast and forsaken prince. He was the Demon Emperor who caused rivers of blood to flow. He was the bane of all good things, poison to all things wonderful. Son? He couldn't have a son! Images of the people who he once shared happy memories with flashed through his mind, each one of the bloody, lifeless and dead. Euphy, Shirley, Rolo, Clovis, his mother, his father… They were all dead… because he was a curse. No, he just couldn't have another attachment on this world. He had to die. He had to cease to be.

His very existence was wrong.

Son?

Lelouch was, putting it mildly, scared as hell.

"No," he said, slightly dazed. "I have no son."

"Lelouch!" Cornelia's voice snapped sharply but he ignored it.

Steadier, he forced himself to stare directly into the boy's eyes before clarifying with the same lips he used to tell a million lies, "You are _not _my son."

The boy, appalled, seemed at a loss of what to do. Hastily, he turned and fled.

That's right, if the boy knew what was good for him, he would keep running and never turn back. This was for the better. Maybe the boy would grow up without Lelouch's curse bearing down on him. This was better, that was what he told himself. So why… did it hurt this bad?

Sharp pain exploded from the left, his vision turning red for a moment before subsiding. Lelouch, however, didn't react to the forceful slap that now stung his cheek. He didn't need to look back up to know _she_ was crying. "Maybe," Kallen said, her voice oddly chocked again, this time with tears and revulsion, "if you had never woken up, maybe it would have been so much better for us after all."

_Do you realize that only now, Kallen?_

She then turned around and followed after her son.

Just when Lelouch thought it was over, heavy pounding footsteps entered the room, striding towards him treacherously, and before anyone could move, two hands grasped the fabric at his chest and smashed him back up against the steel wall… hard. Lelouch's eyes shot open for a brief second as agony ripped through the back of his head and torso, a wave of nausea seizing him. Not having the strength to hold back what was coming up, he averted his face to the side and coughed up, not chyme, but blood, splattering a significantly worrying quantity over the wall. That didn't slacken the grip of his attacker though, not that Lelouch was expecting him to.

Gino's sapphire eyes flared.

"Lord Weinberg," Cornelia demanded, "You forget your place!"

"I beg to differ, Your Highness," Gino seethed. "I am in the _perfect_ position to say this." His hold tightened and Lelouch was pushed further up against the wall. He could hardly breathe now. This was good. There was a good chance Gino would just kill him here and now, ending his miserable life.

"Eeeee…" Lloyd suddenly wailed so anxiously that Lelouch might have thought that Suzaku just told him that he lost the Lancelot Albion, "Be careful, Sir Weinberg, His Majesty's body is still very fragile from years of doing minimal work. The slightest excessive force exerted on his body might be fatal." Fragile? Did he mean frail? Gino, of course, being the knight that he was, was not deterred.

"I've watched Kallen _every day_ hoping you would come back," the younger blonde hissed, "I've also watched Ash go through a thousand things wishing you were there beside him. I stood back and stomached _everything_ because that was what Kallen wanted but so help me if you ever say anything like that to Ash again, I swear, I would _happily_ put you six feet under again. Zero might have a capricious aim but I _assure_ you, mine is _perfect_." He didn't pilot the most agile and long-ranged knightmare in the Rounds for nothing. Gino didn't know how welcoming those words were to the Demon Emperor's ears. "Either wake up and take bloody responsibility for what you did or get the hell lost because while _you_ might not care for them, there are people who do." Clearly resisting the urge to channel more of his frustration and anger into physical force, he released the Britannian prince, allowing Lelouch to collapse into an undignified heap in the capsule before he stalked out.

Lelouch coughed again, a wet cough that stained his hand red with he attempted to cover it. People started rushing forwards but the darkness that was swarming in from all sides was faster.

Life was too much to bear.

Why couldn't someone just appear to take all the pain away?

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Omg thanks for all your responses! I loved all your reviews, and I now have almost four times more alerts than favs o.o

I've exhausted my brain to finish this chapter so I'm not quite sure what I want to write here. Only that because of you all, my readers, I wanted to finish this chapter before my driving law test so you guys could keep occupied with it while I study for my it. Unfortunately, this chapter was way, way longer than what I expected, and now I'm only left with half a day to study for my exam tomorrow x-x. So be thankful! . lol. I didn't want to end this chapter at a cliffy either because the prior two were.

There was so much information I wanted to cover that I might have just missed some but meh, if they're important, I'll include them in the future chapters. I found this chapter really hard to write, surprisingly, even though I had it outlined in my head already. o.o I also didn't proofread this chapter as much as I did with chapter 2 so please forgive me if I made any mistakes, because, really, I do need to run .

To GBlackWell: lol, yup, many questions but all will be answered in good time! Just remember that this is AU so what happened in the canon series doesn't necessarily apply here (though I do abide by it by about 99% of the time). Interesting speculation with the surrogate concept though, I didn't even think of that lol.

Kk, now I have to run to study for that test . Wish me luck!

Until inspiration visits me again,

Could be more Original.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Code Geass obviously isn't mine. How can you be sure? If it was, the ending would have been different. T.T

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 4<em>

The soft pitter patters of feet raced on. What was he running from, Ash wasn't quite sure. He only knew that he wanted to escape whatever subconscious item was pursuing him, and that he couldn't, no matter what, slow down or stop because he knew for sure that if he did, he might never get up and start running again. Hot tears that he couldn't stop burned in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. His chest hurt, very badly, even though no one had injured him. At least… not physically. Skidding across the marble floor, he huffed and tore down the remaining length before he reach a pair of beautifully etched oaken doors. Seizing the knob, he swiftly twisted it and flung the entrance open. Without wasting a single second, he rushed inside and threw his weight on the door, effectively slamming it shut.

The sound echoed in his dark bedroom. Within the sanctuary of his own territory, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the floor. Drawing his knees up to his chin, he huddled himself into a ball. He would not cry. Princes of Britannia did not cry. However, despite the best of his efforts, a single drop of wetness escaped and slid down the side of his face. Almost horrified at his own failure, he furiously wiped it away with the back of his hand. He was so glad that no one was around.

His father couldn't have meant what he said, right? What he said was a lie, right? Every conscious thought in him wanted to believe that but… the way his father had said it… it was… too real. Could anyone be that good in acting or lying? His lip trembled and another tear escaped. Ash needed to be sure. He wanted to know. He needed to know if his father really meant what he said. He couldn't use it just now but now that he was alone… Looking up from his knees, the violet of his eye stirred and a red symbol twisted to life. He could feel it, the power as it surged outwards: beyond his doors, across the hallways, down the elevator shaft before…

"Stop, Ash."

Jumping, the Geass disappeared from his left eye. A sigh of relief left his lips when he turned his head to see the green-haired witch watching him as she stood not ten feet away from his huddled form.

"But…"

"Stop," she repeated, her face a stony mask. She shook her head lightly. "You can't. Not this time."

"Why?" Ash questioned angrily, just short of shouting. He never shouted. It was frowned upon for nobility to raise their voices unnecessarily but this time, Ash couldn't help it. His tears flowed freely now as his sore chest continued to ache. It _burned_, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of the pain. He heard what his father said but now he needed to hear otherwise. At this rate… at this rate… it wouldn't matter if his father left. Ash wouldn't want him to stay, and he hated himself for thinking that way. It made the throbbing in him double. He wanted so desperately for someone to take the pain away. "Why can't I use it? What was the point of giving it to me if you won't let me use it?" he demanded.

The witch was silent as she bore into him with her gold eyes. She approached him, and he watched her through tear-stained eyes. She came around, knelt in front of him and did the unexpected: she put her arms around him. Ash stiffened, but somehow, her gentle movements broke something titanic inside him, and suddenly, he found himself crying harder than he had ever done since he was told princes could not cry.

"Because," she whispered into his ear, holding his shaking form and stroking his hair, "your heart cannot understand that man's hurt."

Ash hiccupped. _I can't… understand Father's hurt? _He wanted to say something, ask what she meant, but his throat was too choked with tears.

"I was surprised, Ash," the witch continued to lull him, "that your Geass would be like that."

"Why?" he managed to force out. "Is… is it bad?"

"No," she said. "I think it's a very gentle Geass, a Geass unlike any other."

* * *

><p>Gino stood awkwardly beside Kallen in the elevator. There was only one elevator leading from the main floors upstairs to the underground level where they kept Lelouch's previously unconscious body. As Ash had taken it up before she could reach him, she was stalled long enough for Gino to catch up to her. Right now, the red-head had her back towards him, trying to hide the obvious fact that she was, indeed, crying. Gino couldn't recall many occasions where he had seen her like this. The last time was probably after everyone pieced Zero Requiem together. Again, it was because of <em>him<em>. Definitely, Lelouch vi Britannia was someone Gino loathed with utmost intentions.

It was torture. He wanted to say something, but he knew he shouldn't. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew she wouldn't appreciate it. However, at the same time, he couldn't just do… nothing. He was drawn out of his musings by the elevator coming to a halt, the doors opening. Not sparing him so much as a look in his direction, Kallen hurried out but only got as far as two steps before Gino caught her by the wrist. Alarmed, she stopped but didn't look back. He had her attention, but now what?

"Kallen…" the knight started but didn't continue. He floundered, searching for the right words, if they even existed.

"I won't lie that I'm fine," Kallen said quietly after a drawn out silence. Gino was surprised she didn't try to lie her way through. "But right now, I need to check on Ash, and… I just need to be alone."

There was another moment for when the knight debated with himself. Then, he slackened his grip and released her. Kallen made towards Ash's sleeping quarters, leaving the knight standing alone in the elevator.

* * *

><p>Kallen hated crying. Specifically, she hated being weak in front of others, especially Gino. Had she been thinking straight, she probably would have felt bad for leaving the knight like that, but right now, all she could think about was that moment when Lelouch practically disowned his own son five seconds after seeing him. How could he say something like that to a mere six-year-old whose lifelong wish was to see and talk to him? She knew he was distraught and probably panicked after waking up after seven years but that gave him no excuse to hurt Ash like that. She only hoped the little boy's heart wasn't beyond mending. If it was… well… she didn't think she could forgive even Lelouch for it…<p>

Coming to the door, she listened. It was quiet. She had expected to hear him crying, even if they were just quiet sobs. Ash had always been mature for his age but there was only so much a six-year-old's heart and feelings could take. For Ash to be calm about this, she wasn't sure what to make out of it. There was also the question of whether or not the youth was in his room at all. But then, where else would he go? She knocked on the door.

"Ash?" Kallen called, composing herself so that her own disappointment wouldn't show through her voice. "Ash, are you in there?"

The answer wasn't immediate. "Yes," the response came softly.

Ash seemed calm, she noted. His voice was thicker than usual but apart from that, he didn't seem upset. However, Ash was Lelouch's son. She wouldn't put it past Ash to be able to act alright when he wasn't. His father managed to fool the world and even Kallen. If Ash inherited even a tenth of his father's 'talents' for acting, he would be able to pull off sounding unharmed, she decided.

"Can I come in?"

Ash's answer this time was even more hesitant. "Can I say 'no'?"

She _knew_ he wasn't fine.

"Ash, are you okay?" Kallen inwardly winced at the question, knowing how much she hated being asked that, especially when it was obvious she wasn't. But she couldn't stop the words from falling from her lips. She needed to ask even though she knew she was probably going to be lied to.

"Um… I… think so," he said.

Kallen lightly touched the door. It probably wasn't locked but she knew better than most how much privacy was valued at certain times. Her hand fisted gently as she debated what to say. What did Ash need to hear right now?

"About your father…" she started. "Don't think too badly of him. I'm sure he didn't mean it." No, she wasn't sure, but that was what she and Ash needed to believe. It felt strangely like… lying though.

"Mother," Ash said, again after a pause. "Do you think… we can't understand Father's hurt?"

The woman blinked, taken aback. Lelouch's hurt? Kallen bit her lower lip. That was right. Lelouch was hurt… deeply, horribly and probably irreversibly. She hadn't even taken that into consideration when she slapped him. All she could focus on were his heartless words to Ash that she didn't even think about how Lelouch was feeling at the time. The Lelouch she knew wouldn't hurt anyone, what more to say his own son, without good reason. Just like seven years ago… She was appalled at how easily she almost made the same mistake of doubting him. Lelouch was a good person. She had to have faith in that.

"Yea," she replied through the door, "maybe that's it."

* * *

><p>Suzaku pushed Nunnally's wheelchair out from the elevator. They were alone, having been sent away by Schneizel with the reason Nunnally had a schedule to keep up tomorrow. She had been reluctant to leave at first, which was understood. Lelouch held a special part of Nunnally's heart, a part that nearly died when Lelouch endeavored to complete Zero Requiem. It was the same for Lelouch who sacrificed everything in order to create a world where Nunnally could live in peacefully. Now that Lelouch was back, even if it was under such circumstances and that their first reunion wasn't exactly ideal, the little sister was defiant to leave his side. It was only when her half-brother reminded her of her responsibilities as the Empress of Britannia and promising to inform her when they were any changes in Lelouch's status that she finally agreed to retire for the night.<p>

Her fear was the same as everyone else's: that if Lelouch lost consciousness again, he wouldn't wake up for another seven years. The Japanese didn't think Nunnally's heart would be able to take so much waiting again. He fervently hoped that fate wasn't playing with the poor girl's feelings. He had witnessed firsthand how cruel the gods could be.

Girl? No. Nunnally was a grown woman in her early twenties now. With soft brown hair, clear violet eyes and a well-shaped body despite her disability, Suzaku could hardly call her a girl anymore. Even when she ascended the throne at the tender age of sixteen, effectively making her the youngest Britannian ruler ever named since Lelouch's record of eighteen, she had matured very quickly to suit her station. But even then, she had never lost her kind and gentle personality. She worked tirelessly to build and maintain the world her brother left behind for her, often worrying her aides sick for fear her health would be affected. Nunnally, of course, spared no effort in showing everyone that the universal image of her as a weak individual merely because she couldn't walk was entirely false. With her benevolent nature, she had even won over some of the world's leaders who had initially looked down on her. Sometimes, Suzaku supposed that she only worked so hard because she wanted the world to be perfect by the time Lelouch opened his eyes.

She was being quiet, too quiet for Suzaku to be at ease. He knew that she was crestfallen, just like everyone else, after their encounter with Lelouch. Somehow, he regretted taking her downstairs. What was the point of it all if she was just going to be hurt? Suzaku would even go as far as to say he knew the event would play out like that. Well… he didn't know Schneizel was going to delve so much into the hidden truths Lelouch locked up inside of himself, but he knew it was going to be unpleasant. That day when he found out that his best friend didn't die from his assault, he had been both guilty and relieved. Guilty because he wasn't able to cut off Lelouch from his painful attachments to the world like his friend had counted on him to do; relieved because he still loved Lelouch as his best friend. He understood the prince more than anyone. At least, that was what he liked to think. One thing he knew was that Lelouch would not be pleased to be alive again. Yet, he let the others do as they liked, keeping Lelouch's body alive with the most modern medical technology.

Because, really, even though a part of him would never forgive his best friend for killing Euphy, Suzaku, more than anything, didn't want to see Lelouch die. He had lost Euphy, his lover and princess. He desperately didn't want to lose Lelouch too. He scoffed inwardly at his own claim. As if he had the right to say that after agreeing to fulfill his role in the Zero Requiem plan. But, thinking back, his emotions were so chaotic at the time, he didn't really know how much Lelouch meant to him until he had pierced the Britannian through his chest.

He regretted that act the moment it was done.

And he was prepared to atone for it by accepting his fate to live as Zero for the rest of his life.

But when Lelouch didn't die, it was like the gods had given him a second chance to do things right. Suzaku wasn't prepared to waste that opportunity. Hence, he had quietly stayed back and allowed the others to do as they pleased. After all, he couldn't show too much of an attachment to Lelouch least he give away his identity too easily.

Schneizel had cleared up almost everything they doubted Lelouch for. Euphy's order was an accident. Even when Suzaku was cooperating with Lelouch during the final four months of his life, the Britannian never opened up to tell Suzaku what really occurred that day. Suzaku knew he was hiding something, but in his agony over Euphy's death, he was almost grateful that Lelouch provided an undeniable target to allocate all his blame. He never pushed Lelouch for the whole truth, but now, he wished he did. An accident? Did that make Euphy's death any more justifiable though? If anything, didn't it make Euphy's death even more pitiful? But, at least, that meant Lelouch didn't mean to do it. It meant that Lelouch felt just as bad as he did, probably worst, for what he did to Euphy. He was even punishing himself for it and Suzaku let him. And _he _claimed he knew Lelouch? Maybe he was overestimating their friendship after all.

Coming to the Empress' quarters, Suzaku pushed the chair towards the bed. Given the hour, when the signal came, Nunnally was already dressed for sleep. She had draped on a soft lavender dressing gown instead of changing when the alarm went off. Seeing it pointless to call for Nunnally's ladies-in-waiting for the simple task of helping her to bed, Suzaku came around to the front of the wheelchair and bent down, allowing the female to encircle her arms around his neck. She did so without looking at him. Without a word, he lifted her, supporting her frail body by the small of her back. Settling her dainty figure down on the bed, he moved to straighten but found he… couldn't as Nunnally hung on, refusing to let go.

"Empress," Suzaku blinked in surprise, almost losing balance when his weight didn't displace as he told it to.

"Stop that," she clipped, harsher than she usually would. Noticing that herself, she immediately muttered an apology. Hiding her face beside his, she said in a low tone, "Because you're Suzaku, aren't you? I don't want you to call me that."

Zero tensed at the name he hadn't been called in seven years. However, his body eased itself quickly. His lips parted, but he hesitated to speak. It was like breaking a long established taboo. "It's…" he started tentatively, equally soft in volume beside the female's ear. "It's impossible to lie to you about these things, isn't it?" He smiled behind his mask before adding fondly, "because you're the same Nunnally who was able to recognize me just by holding my hands when you couldn't see, even though at that time, seven years had passed since the three of us were together. When did you realize?"

Nunnally's hold tightened. "Since the day Lelouch almost died," she said, her voice tightening. She shifted, burying her face into the folds of his cape at his shoulder. Her voice was muffled but Suzaku could still make out her words. "When I touched him, I saw everything you two planned."

Suzaku frowned. "Saw?"

"I don't understand either, but I saw everything. When you were in C's world… and when Brother gave you Zero's mask."

"I… see." Suzaku eased himself into a sitting position beside the empress. "I'm sorry… Nunnally. It's my fault that Lelouch is like this. I haven't been much of a comfort even though he entrusted you to me."

Nunnally shook her head with small movements. "It's not your fault, it's mine. If only I wasn't so weak, Lelouch wouldn't have had to go through so much to create a better world for me. If only I hadn't been crippled when I was a girl, we would never have been exiled from Britannia. If only I hadn't been born, Lelouch would never have to suffer so much. I've always been the one dragging him down."

Suzaku hushed her softly. "Think of how Lelouch would feel if he heard you saying that. You meant the world to him. If it wasn't for you, Lelouch, he… he probably would have given up a long time ago. You were the one that kept him strong to the end. Even when he thought you were gone, he went on because he didn't want your death to be in vain. Even when you were against him, he followed through because while he wouldn't be around to see the world he recreated, you would."

"You're making me feel worse," Nunnally wailed, her voice taut and on the verge of tears.

"Sorry," Suzaku quickly apologized. "I've never been good at comforting people."

"It's not fair. I would have been happy if he was there beside me. I _never_ wanted him to do all this."

"I know," he said, "but Lelouch didn't want you to live a life of lies forever. He was tired of running and hiding." Suzaku could only guess how Lelouch must have felt. Living only by lying to everyone around him while constantly looking over his shoulder, afraid for every moment of his life that their secret would one day be exposed. All the while, sheltering Nunnally and making sure she was happy and safe.

"Can we… still go back to how it all was?"

Suzaku, honestly, didn't have an answer for that. Could they really go back to living as how they did when they were younger? No, too much had happened. No matter what, Suzaku wouldn't be able to see Lelouch the same way again after what happened with Euphy. More than that, Lelouch was broken. Despite all that Lelouch did, be it ordering thousands of Britannians to die in the last war or heartlessly using the Geass on the Royal Family and indirectly causing all their deaths, he had only been able to do all that because he was prepared to die. Or rather, it was only because he was going to die that his conscience allowed him to do all those horrible things.

The key question here: was Lelouch was able to live with himself after his reign as the Demon Emperor?

"I don't know, Nunnally. We prevented him from dying but we haven't saved him yet."

"Lelouch isn't beyond saving, is he?"

"I… don't know, Nunnally," Suzaku admitted truthfully, "but that won't stop us from trying."

There was no more conversation after that. For the first time in years, Suzaku was himself, not Zero, as he held Nunnally who cried silently into his shoulder because he knew, right at this moment, Nunnally needed someone she knew to hold her. However, even as he offered Nunnally solace, an ill dread filled Suzaku's gut.

How were they supposed to save a person who did not want to be saved?

* * *

><p>C.C. stood back. Upon instinct, she retreated from Ash the moment she heard Kallen knocking on the door. Even though the youth, as fulfillment of his promise not to let C.C. or the Geass be known to anyone, didn't open the door for his mother, C.C. still felt it better if she stuck to the shadows as mother and son conversed. She wasn't afraid of Kallen, don't mistake. She wasn't even afraid of Lelouch should the man ever find out that C.C. granted his six-year-old son the Power of Kings. Frankly speaking, she had other far more worrying things to be anxious about. As such, she had her own reasons why she was hiding. The bottom line was: things would be troublesome if anyone but Ash knew about her involvement. She could still keep things under control, mind you. After all, she was C.C. The only problem lay with she couldn't be bothered to exert unnecessary efforts to calm frantic parents to explain herself. She was C.C.; she never explained herself.<p>

Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she leaned against the wall covered in floral designs. Recalling, it had been quite a shock to find out the Geass would manifest in Lelouch's son in that way. She had been watching the royal prince for quite some time and, taking into consideration that he was that man's son, C.C. had amused herself by guessing what kind of Geass would appear. But, as expected of Lelouch vi Britannia's spawn, she was surprised.

In a way, it was very suitable. From his Geass, C.C. could conclude that Ash was exactly like his father but, at the same time, he was the polar opposite. Perhaps, the reason for that was that Ash hadn't gone through a life of sufferings like Lelouch did. While being cut off from his father, at least Ash still had his mother and a loving family of people that protected him. She couldn't say the same for Lelouch and his sister. Nunnally probably only turned out sane because her brother insisted on shouldering all the burdens himself.

It was a gamble, but it was one she felt really good about. Marianne's line was a very interesting one, she decided. Surprise or not, C.C. supposed that Ash had obtained the perfect Geass for his cause. And if things went well for Ash, they would go well for C.C too. They were, after all, accomplices.

Things could be better though. For one, she was bored now that she couldn't have, what seemed to third party onlookers as, aimless and confusing monologues now that Marianne was gone. And two, she wouldn't be able to order pizzas as freely as she did when Lelouch was her cohort.

Sigh, at least she still had Cheese-kun.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Aha~ Sorry that this chapter came out a little later than usual. As most of you know, I had that test so I only started writing this chapter the day before yesterday GTM +8. As a side note, I passed my law test with 47/50! *confetti* Now I have to look for a driving instructor for practical work o.o

Regretfully, Lelouch didn't come out in this chapter. I thought about skipping but I also thought that some of the side characters needed a cameo, especially Nunnally and Suzaku (Zero).

To my utmost surprised, most of you are mostly curious about "When did Kallen and Lelouch do _it_?" I'm just going to say here that I _will_ tell you all but not so soon lol. Also, to Darth Lelouch who asked, if C.C. wasn't in this story, then it would just be your usual 'long-lost-father-comes-back-and-tries-to-connect-with-son-while-having-lots-of-misunderstandings' story. So yea, C.C. actually plays a key role in CG: Second Gen.

Another reason this chapter came out so late was because I was discussing it with my sisters, of which, I've concluded, are better off not consulted. By the end of our discussion, every character was dead except for Ash, Lelouch and C.C. … Apparently, they don't like either Kallen or Suzaku xD.

So yea, do review! I love hearing for you guys. Again, thanks for all your reviews, alert and fav adds from the last chapter.

Until inspiration visits me again,

Could be more Original.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Code Geass isn't mine. How can you be sure? If it was, the ending would have been different. T.T

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 5<em>

An entire day had passed since Lelouch fell back into unconsciousness and everyone was starting to worry again, even the hardened veteran Cornelia li Britannia. Walking down the corridor proud and tall, her outward appearance showed no signs of anxiety over her younger half-brother's predicament. Royals were bred that way. You were useless in the game of politics if you couldn't even pull together a proper poker face. She supposed that was why Schneizel was the best of them in that area. Since returning to court after the ruckus Lelouch caused, she had resumed her normal deep crimson and yellow outfit sans cape, leaving it for only the more formal occasions. Now, the princess made her way towards the chambers of a certain red-haired knight.

The morning rays filtered through the high windows, illuminating the gracefully decorated hallway of white walls and cream marble floors that were lined with a stretch of red carpets. Outside, she could see an array of vivid colors from flowers, shrubs and trees. A fountain stood in the middle of the garden beyond the widow. It was, all in all, a beautiful day to spend outside. It was a pity Euphy wasn't here anymore. Cornelia knew more than anyone that her little sister would have loved to see this place. She shook her head inwardly. Euphy would always stay in her heart but now, she needed to focus on saving the sibling that, no matter how broken, was still alive: Lelouch.

In honest truth, she still had mixed feelings about Lelouch, to quote, the cold-blooded murderer of her precious Euphemia. Even without Schneizel's say, Cornelia knew Lelouch wouldn't kill Euphy heartlessly but the fact was: Euphy was dead. It was easier to blame everything on the faceless Zero who she knew already killed Clovis. Clovis… that was another death Lelouch was accounted for. However, while what Lelouch did to Euphy and Clovis was unacceptable, what the Royal Family did to Lelouch and his sister was also unforgivable. Did the vi Britannia's grudge justify all his killings though? Cornelia didn't know, nor did she think she had much of a say in it. After all, she was someone who could abandon her title and responsibilities in order to find a way to clear Euphy's blood-stained name. The one truth she knew at this point was that saving Lelouch was _not_ a mistake. It was what Euphy would have wanted. And no matter how much Cornelia wanted to deny it herself, there was a part of her who wanted to save Lelouch no matter what the outcast prince had done. He was her brother and Marianne's son. A part of her would never hate him – just a small part though.

Turning the corner, Cornelia found herself spying a familiar blonde standing outside her destination. She raised a delicate eyebrow even though the princess wasn't particularly surprised. In fact, she had half-expected it. The newly promoted Knight of Two looked just a little lost, struggling in debate whether or not to knock. Cornelia let out an exasperated sigh before closing the distance between them. He was so distracted that he didn't even notice her approach.

"Sir Weinberg," she said, fist on her hip. The knight jumped. "Some places are better off untrodden by the likes of men."

"Your Highness," Gino blinked, snapping to a sharp salute. Being the soldier that she was, Cornelia instinctively returned the salute. "I was just…" The usually talkative knight was at a loss for words.

"As I said, Sir Weinberg," Cornelia said, brushing past him, "some places are better off avoided. I do believe you have other duties to report to. Her Empress Nunnally's safety is still your primary concern." It was then when a thought occurred to her. "Oh yes," the princess said, "concerning your actions the night before…"

"I'm not sorry for them, Your Highness," Gino clarified stiffly, his tone darkening noticeably. The knight had always been one to wear his heart on his sleeve.

"I know."

Cornelia's reply must have caught the knight off guard for he blinked again in half confusion. Turning around and fixing him with a meaningful gaze, she said, "I only wanted to advise you to continue your services as a Knight of Rounds – in a position where I can't touch you." Her eyes narrowed. "Because unlike Schneizel or Nunnally, I don't take lightly to insubordination."

The princess had obviously _not_ forgiven him for attacking Lelouch.

Weinberg was just lucky the Knight of Rounds were directly under the Empress' command, and therefore, couldn't be ordered or dismissed by any other member of the Royal Family. However, although this was a known fact, it was always generally viewed as a bad idea for any Knight of Rounds to get on the bad side of any prince or princess. In spite of everything, no matter how you looked at it, blood was forever thicker than water. Their privilege of being untouchable only lasted if _they_ lasted in the favor of Britannia's supreme ruler. For Gino Weinberg, he had better hope for his own sake that Nunnally would keep him in her good graces for a _very_ long time, _especially_ if Lelouch didn't wake up for another seven years because of his assault.

Without waiting to see his reply, she turned on her heel and knocked on the door. Behind, Gino took a moment but retreated just as Cornelia suggested him to. The knight was out of sight by the time the door opened, revealing a wide-eyed Kallen when she realized who had called upon her.

"May I come in?" Cornelia asked courteously though expectantly when Kallen failed to say anything.

"Of course," Kallen said, opening the door wider.

Cornelia wordlessly entered the room. It was a modest room by the luxurious standards the princess was used to. It was a given since the woman never asked for anything more since they assigned this room to her. Cornelia moved lithely towards a small table set placed in the veranda overlooking the garden. Kallen closed the door and joined her, seating herself opposite the princess.

"What can I do for you, Cornelia?"

"I thought that you might need someone to talk to," Cornelia replied, straight to the point. Vivacious and court-bred princess that she was, Cornelia li Britannia was still a soldier. She could have started the conversation with any number of things like the weather or the latest fashion but no, she was Cornelia. She never saw the need to indulge in gossip or topics that wasted ones time. What was the point of dancing around the real subject?

Kallen was momentarily stunned. "Umm..." she hummed, unable to make a connection.

Cornelia's usual taut expression broke into a softer smile. "We're both women here. You can tell me anything. We both know men are incapable of understanding anything emotional. I know something's bothering you."

"It's that obvious?"

"Well, normally, there's something bothering you when you don't come out of your room for more than twenty-four hours."

Kallen chuckled at that, abashed. "It's just that… it's a little strange confining in you, Cornelia. No offence."

Cornelia rested an elbow on the back of her chair as she settled herself sideways on the chair, crossing one leg over the other. In her relaxed posture, she never once lost a shred of grace. "I suppose," she admitted, her smile widening a little, "it's usually Euphy who does things like these, but in this situation, you're just going to have to settle for me. Now, go on, tell me what's on your mind."

Kallen stared at her own hands as she wrung them in thought. "I'm scared," she said finally.

"Of?"

"Everything," Kallen answered truthfully. "I'm scared for Ash because of what Lelouch said; I'm scared that he won't wake up this time, but most of all… I'm scared of facing him again." She paused before shaking her head and correcting herself. "No, what frightens me most is actually the fact that I'm frightened at all. That sounds silly, doesn't it? I mean, I used to pilot Knightmares, risking death every time, and I didn't fear a thing."

"Women like us," Cornelia said slowly and thoughtfully, "don't know what true fear is until we really realize we have so much to lose than we would have thought possible. In that sense, you and I are exactly alike." Fondness seeped through her expression. "But this is one fear I'm happy to have. Don't you agree?"

That was one question Kallen didn't have to think about before nodding.

"Lelouch…" Cornelia searched for the right words, "the world's not been kind to him. He's used to depending on himself in a way that failure means death for both himself and Nunnally. Even though that doesn't apply anymore, failure still subconsciously holds the same level of fear over him. If you think about it that way, how Lelouch acted makes sense." When Kallen looked on the verge of objecting, Cornelia added, "I'm not saying he was right, merely that his emotions were justified. He's broken, Kallen, and you need to fix him."

"Me?"

Cornelia raised her eyebrow. "Who else?"

Kallen bit her lip.

"Schneizel and I would be more than willing," the princess offered but added with a bit of haunted guilt, "but we lost that right when we did nothing about their exile." Of course, with Cornelia and Schneizel's influence at that time, there was probably nothing they could do about the Emperor's decision. What they could have done, though, was make sure their siblings were alright while they were held hostage in a foreign country or help them escape the moment the war between Britannia and Japan was announced. Unfortunately, they didn't.

"Nunnally…"

"Lelouch has already proven that he can go against Nunnally if he thinks he has a cause. No, it has to be you. Lelouch _chose_ you. It was the one illogical thing he did in his life, and he chose you, meaning you're special to him. I can't imagine Lelouch letting anyone get close to him after what he planned, but he did. It was nothing short of a miracle, and that's exactly what we need to save him: a miracle. So if there's anyone who can save him, Kallen, it's you."

Cornelia could see the pressure of the burden finally making an impression on the knight in her face. "Don't worry," she said, "I have faith you can do it. You remind me of Marianne, and not just because you're a Knightmare Ace." That's right, Kallen Kozuki was a woman who wouldn't let the world tell her who she was supposed to be and pushed through with her own willpower and strength. Maybe that was why Lelouch found her attractive in the first place. It was something she made a mental note to ask Lelouch about in the future. She was, after all, his older sister. She had full rights to tease him about these things. "What is it?" she asked when Kallen fixed her with an odd look.

"It's… nothing," Kallen replied, suddenly a little embarrassed. "It's just that it's strange to hear you say that when I got the impression you didn't really approve of me at first."

"I didn't disapprove of you," the second princess said. "I wholeheartedly disliked you. I only put up with you because you were my nephew's mother." Apparently, frankness ran in the family. This fact didn't faze Kallen though.

"Because I used to be a number?"

"No, because you were a Britannian who chose to be a number, which, when you think about it, is worse than being a number," Cornelia added with a thoughtful smile.

Kallen chuckled nervously. "While we're on the subject then, I guess I might as well ask: why did you hate numbers so much?"

Cornelia considered this question for a moment. "Britannian Royalties were generally taught to look down on numbers. But, honestly, the only numbers I truly hated were Elevens."

"Why?" the red-head pushed, getting a touch defensive.

Cornelia exhaled with an amused smile, as if intent on making her mad. "It wasn't just me. Schneizel, Clovis and I all hated Area Eleven. As I recall, when Japan was finally dominated, we three all petitioned to be its provincial governor. Of course, as Schneizel was a candidate for Prime Minister and I, a primary force on the battlefield, Clovis acquired the position. Loosely put, we all wanted the chance to get back at the Japanese."

"Get back?"

"Because they were the people who killed Lelouch and Nunnally."

* * *

><p>The first thing he noticed was the regular beeping of the heart monitor machine. It took him a moment to recollect the scattered memories to make sense of his surroundings. Oh yes. He wasn't dead anymore. Or rather, he was never dead and was awake now due to the highly unnecessary efforts of third party individuals. Of course, as everything came back, the urgent need to personally end his life came with. But could he? Schneizel, the bastard, told Lloyd to take everything out. Lloyd was someone that he could outsmart easily but Schneizel… the man wouldn't leave any loopholes. Lelouch sighed. Perhaps the easiest way was to play along with the charade, earn their trust and commit suicide at the quickest possible opportunity. But could he afford to wait so long?<p>

An image of a young boy flashed through his mind, immediately making him feel uncomfortable. A son. He had a son. He had no idea the result of his actions with Kallen would end up with a son as a result. He truly needed to die as soon as possible. Looking upwards, he saw an orange sky. It had been long since he had woken up in one of these things but the contraption wasn't strange to him. Skimming the inside of the capsule, he found that the design differed slightly, which was a given. He'd be disappointed if it was the same capsule he woke up in when he was a child. _Let's see… if the overall structure is still the same, then the open switch should be somewhere… here. _His fingers weakly brushed the switch and the capsule lid moved, sliding off to one side. Knowing what to expect this time, it was slightly easier to sit up.

His clothes had been changed as they weren't bloodied anymore. Looking at his hands, they were… just a little larger than he remembered. He supposed this was what happened when you went into a coma for such a long period of time. He was what? Twenty-five now? He flexed them experimentally, as if confirming they were his. He felt stiff and light-headed, if a little weak, but otherwise, he was fine. He had two needles in his wrist. If he had to guess, one was for nutrient supplements and the other was for blood transfusions. What was with these people and their firm objection of letting him bleed to death?

The room was bare, just like Schneizel had ordered. It felt unusually spacious now that he was the only one here. As fate would have it, though, that didn't last for long as the door opened, revealing an ecstatic earl.

"Congratulations," Lloyd brimmed. "I see you're awake."

"Unfortunately," Lelouch returned dryly, unamused.

"Ah~ now, now, Your Majesty," the scientist said, entering and shutting the door behind him. "How are your motor functions?"

"Arduous."

"Ho? Rakshata, Cecile and I debated about that. Although we might be a bit off, we deducted that you might feel that way for another week or so before you regain full control."

"You three?"

"Indeed" Lloyd replied, "everyone's worried even though I told them that it's perfectly natural for someone who lost that amount of blood to fall unconscious for a day or two. They could worry all they liked after that period. Really, I don't understand why they don't take my word for it. In any case, replenishing some blood was easy compared to what we had to do seven years ago. Your parts – uh, I mean tissues – were quite cooperative but you also broke your structure – uh, I mean your bones, two ribs to be exact – during the attack and your fall. Those were a bit tricky to tweak considering they went through your lungs."

Lelouch arched an eyebrow skeptically but didn't get to comment before the door opened again to let Schneizel in. Catching sight of Lelouch, his bland expression spread into a small smile. "You're awake."

"Perhaps I spoke too soon, Schneizel. If you left my wellbeing in the hands of a pair of Knightmare Developers and an assistant, plausibly you were trying to get me killed after all."

"Your Majesty," the Earl gasped.

Schneizel actually chuckled at Lelouch's sarcasm. "Don't be like that, Lelouch," the White Prince said, walking further into the room to come stand by the capsule. "Lloyd and the others even went back to attend medical school for your sake."

"It's a shame that you woke up just after we managed to graduate," Lloyd quipped brazenly.

"I didn't ask them to," Lelouch dismissed. Shooting the earl an annoyed look, he asked, "Didn't we agree on the outcome of Zero Requiem?"

"We did," Lloyd confirmed with an ever present smirk on his face. "But then, after that, we agreed with Prince Schneizel more."

Lelouch cursed under his breath. Wasn't there a single shred of loyalty on the face of this Earth? His attention was drawn towards Schneizel again when he spoke, "Lloyd, could you bring in the chair and table outside." The scientist did so without complain, setting up the light and portable furniture inside the room. "If you would be so kind, Lloyd, I'd like to have a private talk with Lelouch." It was then when Lelouch noticed Schneizel carrying something in his left hand.

"Of course," the scientist said off-handedly. "I'm sure you both have loads to talk about." Just as he turned to leave, his face brightened. "Oh yes, Your Majesty," he reached into his pocket and pulled something out, "I believe this belongs to you. Cecile kept it when we tried bringing you back from the dead the night before." He set a purple paper crane on the capsule beside Lelouch, making the former emperor blink in surprise. With that, he left. For a moment, Lelouch forgot Schneizel's presence in the room as he reached out to touch it. Nunnally? No… for some reason, he knew it wasn't her who made this for him.

Schneizel placed the chessboard on the table, unfolded it and started setting it up.

"What are you doing?" Lelouch asked suspiciously, looking up from the paper bird.

"Indulge me, won't you? Besides, after being in a coma for seven years, I'd imagine that you would be out of practice." When Lelouch didn't move, Schneizel coaxed, "You don't have anything to lose. For old time's sake."

If Schneizel thought saying those things would ease Lelouch's suspicions, he was greatly mistaken. Schneizel never did anything for 'old time's sake' and even if he did, it was usually in conjunction with some other ulterior goal. However, like the prince said, he had nothing to lose. Lelouch might as well play along to see just what his half-brother wanted. He settled himself in front of the board while Schneizel calmly took the other side.

"White or black?"

"Black."

Schneizel turned the board around for their respective colors. "You haven't changed a bit."

"It makes the win more favorable when you're at a disadvantage."

"Your self-esteem is still intact, I see." Schneizel opened the game using the King's Gambit.

Lelouch made no comment as he accepted the gambit. Strange. Schneizel rarely opened games with the King's Gambit. Normally, it was a strategy that most advanced players avoided but it worked to Lelouch's own unique style. Schneizel didn't look up from the board as he moved his queen's pawn forward. Lelouch boldly moved his advanced pawn, capturing the white piece. Schneizel answered by taking his pawn with his queen piece. Equally unhesitant as he simulated a thousand possibilities in his mind, Lelouch moved his knight from B8 to C6. Although he'd rather do a number of things than admit his half-brother was right, Lelouch found it surprisingly difficult to concentrate on the game and think ahead. Well… not difficult, per say, more of hindering. They continued moving their chess pieces forwards and back as, before long, both brothers were playing in the earnest.

"Have you calmed down enough to have a sensible conversation yet?" Schneizel suddenly said, breaking the silence as he moved his bishop to capture Lelouch's knight.

"Is that what this is all about?" Lelouch asked in return as he avenged his knight by capturing the white bishop with his own. If he hadn't seen through Schneizel's motive, then the White Prince certainly made his point about Lelouch being out of practice.

"You're always calmest when you're strategizing," Schneizel said, undenying. Lelouch hated it when he was right. "There aren't any cameras in this room. Do you want to go first or shall I?"

Lelouch's eyes flickered from the chessboard for the first time since they started playing to survey his opponent for a brief moment. He knew that Schneizel wasn't referring to the game anymore. There really was no sense in talking anymore, not when he was resolved to die. However, seeing no harm in it, he decided he would take the offer to 'go first'. His head was clearer now so the chances of slipping information like the night before were slim to none. Off the top of his head, he asked the one thing that ate at him the most: "Why did you say all those things that night? No one benefitted from that performance."

"Nobody but you," his half-brother corrected. "While they did save you, they were still doubtful and defensive. To disarm them, I cleared up the one thing they always doubted you most for: your Geass. People are afraid of the unknown. They feel safer when they know facts, even if those facts are slightly in error."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "Error?"

"Two-seven-two."

The former emperor's eyes widened temporarily, immediately knowing what Schneizel meant. That night, apart from the list of people that he had used the Geass on, there was one other mistake that the prince made, and that was the distance at which Lelouch could use power. Schneizel stated a limit of a hundred meters in front of the gathered when in fact, Lelouch's maximum distance was two hundred and seventy-two meters. He concealed that fact from everyone, but why? Did he want to use it as some sort of leverage against Lelouch?

As if reading his mind, Schneizel said, "I wouldn't completely expose my own brother."

"You've done your research," Lelouch commented coldly, still wary. A little late to be acting like a _brother_, wasn't it?

"I have a great deal of spare time," the ends of Schneizel's lips curled upwards somewhat wryly, "even with the Geass command you placed on me, the tasks I'm placed in charge of are quite minimal. It seems I'm still not entirely to be trusted even after all these years."

"How many times has Zero had to enforce it?"

"I can't recall an occasion when Kururugi did," the prince replied smoothly.

Lelouch's heart skipped a beat before pounding heavily in his chest. He knew. Schneizel knew. "How long have you known?"

"Since the beginning. It's a simple process of elimination. When one understands you, everything becomes very straightforward. Who else would you have trusted to watch over Nunnally? I wouldn't put it past you to be able to stage a convincing death for him."

"Who else knows?"

"Zero's identity? Almost everyone in the inner circle, really. Nunnally knew from the start, even before I did. Tohdoh and Kaguya pieced the facts together over the years, having known Kururugi long enough to identify him through habits even though your mask adjusts his voice. Cornelia knows. She has … an eye for soldiers, you could say. Lloyd and Cecile have always known because of their involvement in Zero Requiem as well as Rakshata, but she couldn't care less about the man behind the mask. Kaname has assumptions, but he's not confident and prefers not to know, apparently. The rest of the Black Knights have no clue. Kallen and Gino remain ignorant mostly because they were the ones who 'killed' your knight. Even though most of us know, we never comment on it aloud. It's become something of a taboo to try guessing who's behind the mask."

Lelouch breathed slightly easier at that. His plans had allowed for exceptions, and so far, they were all within his calculations. The list so far contained people who wouldn't be foolish enough to boast about knowing who Zero was. He hadn't expected Schneizel to find out though but since the Geass command was still in place, it was an affordable error.

"On the other hand, everyone who knew you as the original Zero knows that you staged your own death. Of course, the younger generations, including Ash, don't even know the existence of Kururugi Suzaku."

Upon mentioning the boy, the same ill feeling plagued him. He had to stop playing around and return the world back in line with Zero Requiem. However, there was something in him that couldn't resist asking. "What kind of boy is he?" he questioned tentatively, partially unsure whether or not he really wanted to know. Whatever spawned directly from Lelouch couldn't be good, could it? He hoped for the boy's sake that he was the exception.

"Ash… he's a very special boy," Schneizel said, almost affectionately. "He's bright and intelligent, as well as thoughtful and caring. He's a little rash and stubborn, a given considering his heritage, but it's nothing too serious. He also sees an urgent need to reach expectations people set for him, much like yourself when you were younger. Cornelia and Nunnally spoil him without reserve."

Lelouch knew he shouldn't have asked. He didn't even need to be around for the boy to be just like him. If he was this much like Lelouch now, would that mean that his fate was similar too? He cringed to think what would happen if he was around to influence him. What was he thinking? He had practically doomed the boy just by being his father. Lelouch paused inwardly at that thought. The idea of him being a… father was still alien. He wondered how Kallen fared being a single parent. The last thing he wanted when he took her was to place a burden on her. He could only imagine what kind of hardships she would have had to face alone when raising a child. Speaking of which…

"What is Gino to them?" Lelouch asked carefully. He doubted the knight's relationship with Kallen was simple.

"Gino?" Schneizel echoed. "He's… a close friend. Ash is very fond of him. Did you want to execute him for insubordination? I know Cornelia would support you on the idea but…"

"Reprimand? Are you kidding? Why would I get rid of my very own personal Reaper?" One push was probably all it would take to get the knight to kill him. In fact, it was probably Lelouch's only way of getting back into the arms of death.

"In that case, I might have to agree with Cornelia for once…"

"Gino isn't registered as his father?" From that night, it was apparent the boy knew Lelouch to be his real sire but surely, Kallen wouldn't have registered Lelouch as his father.

"No. You are, of course."

"_What_?" The boy's doom was sealed. "_Why_?"

"Because Kallen wanted it that way," Schneizel answered simply. "Principle aside, it couldn't have been done in any other way."

"_Why not?_"

Schneizel fixed him with an odd look. "Waking up from a coma doesn't make you blind, Lelouch. The resemblance is undeniable. Even if we lied in the official records, everyone would know otherwise. Before you 'died', you made sure that your infamy was widespread."

The resemblance was undeniable, that was a fact. It was even enough to convince Lelouch who would have been the last man on Earth to accept that Ash was his son. The media and public wouldn't need as much convincing. In fact, they would ravish at the thought of such a scandalous piece of gossip: the bastard son of the Demon Emperor. Guilt ripped his heart. What kind of life did Ash have? Was he persecuted on a daily basis because of the decisions and mistakes Lelouch made? Cold dread filled him again. How was it that he could impair the boy's life without even being there? At this point, not even Lelouch's death would save Ash from the cruelties of the world.

"Ash hasn't made a public appearance yet," Schneizel stated, as if reading his mind. "Even the staff here are ignorant of him. Kallen wasn't pleased about her son being cut off from the world but that was the condition we set when she decided she wanted Ash to know who his real father was."

What was this? Was he feeling _thankful_ for his siblings? It couldn't be helped. In this situation, Schneizel had made the best decision (apart from insisting that Lelouch existence should be erased). The idea must have been foreign to Kallen but Royalty not revealing the identities of heirs weren't uncommon in Britannia. At the very least, Ash would be spared from all the prejudices until he was older or otherwise in a better position to handle the pressure himself. However, that strategy had its own flaws. Ash probably grew up without a single friend his own age.

"Cornelia and I personally take care of his studies. He has a very good head on his shoulders. Did you know he almost beat Cornelia once in chess?"

"He plays chess?"

"He's your son as well as my and Cornelia's nephew. Naturally, he plays chess."

Something occurred to him – something Ash said that night.

"Crown prince?" Lelouch didn't need to elaborate. The question was understood: why was _his_ son the crown prince and not Nunnally's?

Schneizel didn't answer immediately, as if weighing his words. "Nunnally's unmarried, and she says she has no intention to."

Time stopped for a second. Nunnally didn't want to get married? Admittedly, as Nunnally's overprotective older brother, he had once been very defensive about other boys stealing his beloved sister away from him. Now, however, her conviction made him… a little sad. Lelouch had taken pains to make sure Nunnally wouldn't be lonely. Lelouch left Suzaku for her, after all. However, Lelouch had condemned his best friend to a life without a name. He couldn't be Suzaku anymore so there was no way the two could be together. So Nunnally would have no heir? But then, even in that event, the next in line for the throne would be…

"I renounced my claim," his older brother informed. "Cornelia's done the same. It's not been announced but it's official on paper. We only planned to let the fact be publically known when Ash becomes of age. Things get complicated when other nations think Britannia doesn't have an heir."

A headache was rising again. The former emperor scowled, pressing the tips of his fingers firmly together. His mind had abandoned the chess game as he focused all his energy into seeing through whatever Schneizel was planning. His mind searched for all the possibilities that tied in with what Schneizel had told him so far but all his line of thoughts came at a dead end. "What are you playing at?" he muttered in frustration.

"Why must you insist to think I'm scheming?"

"Because none of this makes sense! Why would you protect my son when I almost killed you? Why would you do that and still renounce your claim? Why did you bother saving me when I could be the one person in your way to stop whatever plan you have? It's almost as if—"

"I care for you?" the white prince suggested. "As if I care for Kallen and Ash?"

Lelouch clamped up.

"Lelouch, may I ask you a question?" He didn't wait to be given permission though. "Why didn't you kill me? If you distrust me so much, why didn't you just kill me seven years ago?"

Lelouch dropped his gaze to the chess set that was left half-played. "Because rebuilding Britannia would require someone who could strategize and no one is better at that than you. I left you orders to obey Zero. There wouldn't be any need to worry about betrayal then if Suzaku was careful."

"That's half the reason," the prince disagreed. "You know as well as I do that I could have broken out of the Geass given a bit of time. Jeremiah has something called a Geass-Canceller. There were at least a dozen times I could have conveniently positioned myself within radius. You must have taken that into consideration yet you left me alive anyway. The way you think of me, I could have overthrown the empire by now if I had a mind to."

"The Black Knights would have stopped you."

"The Black Knights are an overestimated force without the original Zero, ever since Li Xing Ke died."

So Xing Ke had finally succumbed to his illness. That was… regrettable. Lelouch had always respected the man for his abilities. But still, there was Tohdoh. Almost as soon as he considered that name, he chided himself. If Schneizel was serious, not even Tohdoh could match up to him.

"The truth, Lelouch?"

The truth. Again with the truth. Lelouch didn't know what the truth was anymore. Why didn't he kill Schneizel when he knew his brother would be a treat to the new world he was forming? His mind abandoned the search for that answer. What did it matter? After all, what was passed, was past. There was no use digging up irrelevant matters. Why couldn't Schneizel just accept the obvious answer? "How long are you going to keep me here?"

Schneizel was silent as he considered if he should prevent the change of topics. Fortunately for Lelouch, he didn't. "That depends. What are you going to do once we let you out of this room?"

"Find the most inconspicuous way to get rid of myself."

Schneizel scowled. "That's… a very bad joke."

"There's no longer a place for me in this world. Say I stay, would you have me hide for the rest of my life? I've had enough of running, Scheneizel. You know as well as I do that the fickle peace everyone enjoys right now was built on the solid foundation of my death. My being alive would ruin everything."

"Zero's mask is always yours," Schneizel said, catching Lelouch entirely off-guard. "At least, that's what Kururugi said when I met him on the way here."

Suzaku did…

"You don't know what you're asking of me," Lelouch muttered, looking askance. Suzaku was the same as Lelouch. The world no longer had a place for either of them. As such, Lelouch chose to depart while leaving Suzaku with Zero's mask. If Lelouch took the place of Zero again, what would that leave Suzaku with? But in essence, that wasn't even the problem. It was one of the problems, yes, but not the main one. Lelouch _couldn't_ live on, not when he had killed so many people. He didn't have the right to.

"Lelouch, do you honestly think that neither I nor Cornelia are haunted by the lives we take?" Schneizel asked. "A fine line separates a soldier from a murderer."

"Why are you doing all this?"

"You already know the answer to that question."

"I want the real answer."

Meeting Lelouch's eyes with his pale purple ones. "Lelouch, I wasn't lying," he said, so plainly and sincerely that Lelouch was almost inclined to believe him, "I know you're skeptical about me, but at that time, I was only doing what I needed to do. Father was no longer interested in ruling the country. For Britannia's sake, I needed to ensure I was the one who would inherit the throne instead of Odysseus. You, on the other hand, were warring against the empire. Obviously, as Britannia's Prime Minister, I had to stop you."

"You expect me to believe, even after all you've done with Damocles and F.L.E.I.J.A., that you harbored nothing but good intentions?"

"You know for yourself that I'm a man without ambition or desires. I don't care for the throne as long as there's someone worthy on it. Now, before anything else, you are my brother. Believe what you may but I have no intentions to see you destroy yourself, not when I have the power to prevent it this time." He stood up, moving a chess piece across the board. It took Lelouch a full ten seconds to realize he had just been checkmated without even being checked. "You're alive, Lelouch. You've lived to save the world. It's alright to start living for yourself now."

"Stop making me sound like a martyr." That was the last thing Lelouch was.

"I may not have the influence to save you, Lelouch, but at least I can physically prevent you from killing yourself."

Lelouch's throat tightened in panic. He knew that if Schneizel said that, that meant he really wouldn't be allowed to die until Schneizel let him. He wasn't the type to make empty threats. The White Prince would leave no loopholes for him and Lelouch had no allies… and… he refused to use his Geass anymore now that his goal was achieved. But then, could it really be achieved if he wasn't dead?

"I have to go. Given how this went, I suppose you'll be pleased to know I won't be here for the next few days. There some trouble in the East that I have to take care of." When Lelouch's expression changed, he added, "The world is very much still at peace. Warfare has cut down by at least ninety percent but there'll always be turmoil. I'm only going to take care of it while the problem is miniscule. On a more serious note, Ash's birthday is in a month's time. The least you could do is stay for that occasion. I don't want to blackmail you into staying out of obligations, but I think you owe at least that much to him. Think about it."

When Schneizel started to move away, Lelouch spoke up, stopping him. "Schneizel." He paused, debating whether or not he should even bother asking. "What's the difference between a murderer and a soldier?"

The answer came without hesitation. "A soldier doesn't let any deaths he causes be in vain. You're a soldier, Lelouch. No matter how much you'd like to deny it, you are not a murderer."

No deaths in vain? What about Shirley? That was one case right there. There was no way sins could really be forgiven.

"Oh, Lelouch, one more thing," the White Prince said. "I thought you might like to know that you're married."

Lelouch's head shot up. "_What?_"

"If it makes you feel better, Nunnally spoke on your behalf, but you didn't think either Cornelia or I would stand by and watch our nephew grow up a bastard, did you?"

"Where's my say in this?"

"I believe you passed your consent the moment you took Kallen." The reply was simple and heartlessly blunt. There was nothing Lelouch could say after that.

* * *

><p>Schneizel closed the door behind him, exhaling. His hand lingering on the knob when a person asked a question from behind him, "Do you think he'll stay?"<p>

The White Prince turned around to come face to face with the man known only to society as Zero. "I'm quite certain. For now, at least," he said thoughtfully, "I gave him enough reason and items to consider for him to rashly take his own life. At the very least, I don't think you'll have to expect an attempt in the new few days. I would say 'definitely' but Lelouch has always been a man that I find hard to predict."

"Was it necessary to tell him about the East?"

"Who knows?" He surveyed the man. Even though he had a mask, his body stance told tales of what he was thinking. Kururugi Suzaku, in Schneizel's opinion, had done a remarkable job as Zero so far, but he had yet to match up to Lelouch in everything except physical combat. "What will you do if he stays? You can't continue as Zero any longer."

"That's my own problem."

Schneizel studied Zero a little longer. "Fair enough. I don't expect to stay long in the East but do keep an eye on him. Until then, I don't think it's a good idea to let Ash see him yet."

"Schneizel," Zero said uncertainly, "why do you think he didn't kill you?"

At that question, Schneizel smiled a little, quite amused that Zero would ask such a direct question. And he thought the Japanese were people who never say what they mean. "I have my assumptions," the White Prince said, "but even I wouldn't be bold enough to claim them as the truth unless I heard it from Lelouch himself. Although, I believe, I never will." He never would but really, it was enough that he knew for himself even if Lelouch would never admit it. He nodded his head. "Well, I trust you'll excuse me. I have a flight to catch."

He only walked a few steps before he stopped. "By the way, I never did get the chance to say this, but thank you. Thank you for watching over Lelouch and Nunnally when we didn't."

With that, the White Prince left, leaving the silent figure of Zero behind in his wake.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

*Waves baseball bat wildly at people around me* Gawd… keep away! I need to finish my chapter!

At least, that's what I would have said if I wasn't such a goodie-goodie…

Yup, so here's another release. I'm sorry for the wait and that it took practically a week to write and upload. To make up for it, this is the longest chapter I've written so far, practically seventeen pages long. I hope you guys like it. I actually wanted to squeeze in a bit about how Ash is faring but then I would have taken another day to write and make corrections. Proofreading was scarce here as well. I'm pressed for time again since mom wants me to accompany her out on another errand.

I can't tell you guys how many times I had to rewrite the bit about Schneizel and Lelouch. It took FOREVER. I'm still not satisfied with it but yea okay, I thought you guys waited long enough.

As usual, thank you all so much for reviewing and adding CG: Second Gen to your list(s)! Please remember to drop another review!

Until inspiration visits me again,

Could be more Original.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Code Geass obviously isn't mine. How can you be sure? If it was, the ending would have been different. T.T

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 6<em>

Despite her talk with Cornelia, Kallen still felt rather pathetic. Two days had passed since Lloyd had informed them that Lelouch was awake. The tensed atmosphere before had then evaporated. Nobody wanted to say it aloud even though everyone knew it was a possibility. Fear that Lelouch wouldn't wake up any time soon haunted them in their own individual ways. Now, a different kind of tension plagued the air of the Pendragon Castle. Upon the insistence of Schneizel, no one went down to see him. The overall idea was to let Lelouch think through things himself because no amount of their convincing would make Lelouch see differently. The man was too stubbornly opinionated and self-reliant to simply do what other people told him to. Yet, Kallen felt obliged to help Lelouch through this phase. She wasn't sure about the whole 'miracle' aspect that Cornelia dumped on her, but doing _nothing_ was not something that sat well with Kallen.

That was possibly why she was here again, standing outside the door to Lelouch chamber, but not quite having the guts to go inside. Occasionally, she would hear the rustling of his blankets as he moved out of the capsule or his even footfalls as he paced around the room. Was it really alright to leave Lelouch alone? Her conscience played around with the question but yielded no results. In the end, all she could do was stand there, leaning against the cold, steel wall. She didn't move away though. Somehow, just being close to Lelouch eased her nerves.

What was she afraid of? If Schneizel was right, and he was almost every time, Lelouch wouldn't be able to use the Geass on her even if he wanted to. Pass that, she was easily better than him physically, especially in combat. There was no chance Lelouch could overpower her. She might have settled down into the life of raising a son but she had, in no way, allowed herself to be any less of a knight than what she was. However… knowing Lelouch… he would find a way. And that was probably what she was afraid of: not being overpowered, but being hurt.

Just then, running footfalls drew her attention. To her surprise, Gino rounded the corner, clearly out of breath. Panic lined his features. "Kallen," he breathed heavily. "Pendragon's being attacked."

"_What? By who?_" Kallen was already running, leading the way back to the elevator, her anxiety over Lelouch's situation temporarily forgotten. Who would attack the Britannian capital? No one had waged war against Britannia's Capital since Lelouch's reign.

"We don't know," was all Gino said, keeping up with her until the elevator. "But they sure picked a hell of a time to attack."

Kallen's eyes widened in comprehension. "…when Schneizel isn't here."

* * *

><p>Suzaku grimaced as he arrived at the battle command centre of Pendragon, flagged by both Tohdoh and Ohgi. A spacious double story room, the second floor was mostly cleared away to form a platform overlooking the lower ground. Two dozen Britannian officers lined the lower floor, each with their own workstation of computers as they relayed orders to their individual divisions while others ran back and forth about their own duties. In the middle of the floor was a three dimensional map of Pendragon and its surroundings. Red lights indicated hostiles while blue ones represented their own soldiers. At the very far back of the room was a large screen that spanned the entire wall, giving live feedback of what was happening outside. Already, explosions dotted the screen while indicators on the map slowly but steadily blinked out, replaced by a simple 'no signal' sign. Amidst this orderly chaos was none other than Cornelia li Britannia, clipping orders left and right without hesitation.<p>

Despite being heavily occupied, it didn't take long for the woman to notice their presence, as if foreign entities had just entered unbidden into her domain. "Zero," she acknowledged when she looked up and caught sight of the trio.

"My apologies, Cornelia," Suzaku said, "without the approval from the U.N.F., we can't mobilize our forces."

It hadn't been easy trying to fall into Lelouch's character. After all, the Britannian had formal court education and a royal air of his own. Suzaku's Japanese culture all but entirely differed from the Britannian ways. It was a good thing he joined the Honorary Britannian system when he was younger. Otherwise, there would have been nothing he could do about an accent or a whole different language. More than once, he had cursed Lelouch's name for his childhood friend's natural charisma and tactical genius, all of which were traits he lacked. He was a soldier, not a commander. Suzaku had somehow made it through all these years with his former mentor, now reinstalled, guiding him. He was a fair strategist now, but he needed years more if he were to even hope to match up to Tohdoh, let alone Lelouch. Although neither of them had said anything, Tohdoh knew it was him behind Zero's mask. There was no fooling his teacher.

"That's fine," the princess clipped, her arms folded as she turned around to return to coordinating the battle, "the Britannian garrisons are more than adequate to protect our own country. The sentiment is appreciated." Her tone told the exact opposite though. "I apologize on behalf of Britannia that you're troubled with this sight even though you are our guests. Now, if you'll excuse us."

"I'd like to request your permission to stay."

Cornelia, blinking, was on the verge of denying them, he knew. However, as more explosions took place in the background, she turned back to the map while snapping, "Do as you like."

Suzaku knew he had come very close to insulting Cornelia, her abilities and Britannia as a whole. However, it felt… _very wrong_… to do nothing when they had the power to support the Britannian forces. The increasing number of failing signals didn't help him stomach the situation calmly either. Without further acknowledgement of their presence, the efficiency of the Britannian Army surfaced.

"Fifty hostiles and climbing. Majority are ground troops. Twenty, air. Enemy unknown."

"Enemies have breached Sir Irving's defence. Team Two requests reinforcements."

"First Air Squadron has sortied. Tristan requests permission to engage."

"Glaston Knights have deployed. Lord Guilford reports all status green."

"Something's wrong."

Suzaku looked over his shoulder at Tohdoh. The older man was scowling as his keen eyes followed the movement of indicators on the floating map. Before Suzaku could question the reasons for that statement, though, a female officer on the right shouted.

"We've lost Tristan's signal!"

Cornelia stopped mid command. "What?"

"Sir Weinberg managed to eject before the explosion. Geriant is covering the ejection pod. He reports…" the woman was cut off as her eyes widened. "Your Highness!" she shouted, spinning her seat entirely around. "Sir Weinberg reports ten energy wing knightmare frames!"

"_Ten_?" Suzaku breathed. That was impossible.

Cornelia took no time to be shocked. "Team Seven fall back. Have Geriant draw enemy fire and Charles' team double back. Glaston Knights are to provide cover fire. Split their forces and catch them—"

Just then, an explosion shook the castle as a rapid wave of blue triangles wiped off the map. Tohdoh took a sharp intake of breath. "They read Cornelia. The Britannian forces are being out-maneuvered."

"Your Highness," another officer from the left side of the room called. "There's been a breach of security in the castle in Sector Eleven."

Suzaku's heart skipped a beat as his fist involuntarily tightened underneath the cover of his cloak. That was the sector Lelouch's chamber was in. Cornelia and he exchanged a brief glance. _Send me_, Suzaku thought desperately, but at the same time, chided himself. Cornelia was probably thinking of the same time but he knew it was impossible even though he was the most suitable candidate. He was a soldier who already knew about the secret of the Demon Emperor slumbering underneath the castle. Unfortunately, they couldn't send Zero, or any member of the Black Knights for that matter, to check a breach in the Pendragon Castle. Everyone else who knew about the secret, however, was in the middle of a battle. Was this somehow tied to the attackers?

"Get Earl Asplund and his team to check the breach," Cornelia ordered. Her tone held a finality that _dared_ anyone to question her decision.

* * *

><p>Quite unexpectedly, no one had come in to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of his humble room. He had thought that everyone would be rushing in to see him for various reasons such as demanding for explanations or more attempts to convince him to stay but no. He was perfectly and utterly alone. This... This had Schneizel written all over it. No one would be able to make a rational move over the emotional one other than him. Of course, with the door not opening, there wasn't much of a chance Lelouch would be able to get out and escape. So apart from someone, mostly Cecile, bringing him food, the room was quite void of any sort of life form apart from himself.<p>

Lelouch currently sat on his bed, doing the one thing that he could do: play chess with the set that his brother left behind. He didn't have an opponent, but it also wasn't the first time he had to play by himself. After all, it wasn't until he was Lelouch Lamperouge that he started playing with living, breathing people again. No matter how many times he tried teaching Suzaku, the boy had always been keener towards Shogi. In any case, just like Schneizel said, he felt far more at ease when he was forced to think logically.

Although the Black Prince was faced with a myriad of problems, he had taken the effort to consider them one by one. In which case, Lelouch came face to face with the one problem that started this whole mess: how did he survive Zero Requiem?

Involuntarily, his left hand came to touch his chest, allowing his fingers to brush down a long scar. Lelouch had taken his shirt off earlier that day and inspected it. Over the course of seven years, the scar had faded quite a bit, having all but disappeared completely. Lelouch was never a student who scored outstandingly well in biology, but that was mostly because he didn't want to attract unnecessary attention to himself. Although he had never taken the trouble to study the human body too far in detail, he knew that the scar lay just above his heart, give or take being displaced just slightly downwards where Suzaku must have hesitated during the last second. However, even with that slight displacing, the sword should have still gone through his heart, just like his best friend had said. In that case, there should have been no chance, no chance at all, that he could have survived such a fatal blow.

The work of gods? Impossible. Lelouch was never the religious type, and even if he was, there was no way gods would have saved the likes of the Demon Emperor. However, with the facts that were lined up in front of him, there was nothing that could prevent his death save something supernatural. If it wasn't the gods, then the closest thing would be...

Lelouch's eyes narrowed.

C.C.

Why didn't he think of that immortal witch sooner? She was the reason he was awake, right? He wouldn't discount the possibility of her pulling something like this off. After all, her contact with Lelouch in limbo – that was the temporary name he was giving the white place he had been all these years – couldn't just be a dream. It was far too much of a coincidence that he would wake up the moment C.C. showed up again. All evidence supported the theory of C.C. having something to do with his sudden resurrection. The conversation they had was tied in with this somehow. She had even hinted it to him, the arrogant witch. Remembering her jest about seeing what spawned from the _ashes_ of his rebellion, he was now fully convinced that even if she wasn't the entire cause, she had something to do with it.

Could it be... Did she somehow transfer her code to him before Zero Requiem? No... that likely wasn't it either. According to what she said in limbo, Lelouch hadn't received the code yet. Of course, it could be that C.C. was simply lying but... No... Lelouch had grown older. No matter how small a difference, it was obvious he did age in the last seven years.

But if not by the power of immortality granted by the code, how was it possible to survive from a death blow? If he hadn't aged, then all the pieces of the puzzle would fit perfectly. Clearly, that wasn't the case. C.C. was the missing link here. If he got to her, he would get his answers. Or, at least, he would gain a clearer picture of what the hell was going on. Without whatever secret she had, Lelouch was completely in the dark. He hated not having all the pieces in his hand. He wondered if C.C. was even still in contact with Suzaku and the rest of the Black Knights. Somehow, he doubted it.

Lelouch picked up a black rook and, not for the first time, considered attempting to suffocate himself with it. But of course, like all the other times, he just placed it calmly back down on the board on a different square. Besides, what were the chances he was going to die from choking himself when he didn't from a heart stab? Although he lived through the wound, he wasn't spared from the pain. That memory was all too vivid. He had no desire to venture what it felt like to suffocate to death without any guarantee that he wasn't going to come back again.

Since C.C. was his only lead, he went with that. What else did she say?

"_I once told you why snow is white... Tell me, Lelouch. What, then, is the original colour of snow?"_

Lelouch's eyes narrowed again, this time in frustration. What the original colour of snow is? What did she mean? Was the question literal? Symbolic? If it was the latter, what did 'snow' represent? What did 'colour' represent? Or perhaps C.C. was referring to the place where she asked this question? Was it maybe an invitation to go to Narita to get answers? No. That made no sense. Curse that woman and her riddles.

Snow... What was snow? That was the one question that plagued him as he fingered the white queen piece.

Just then, the lock on the door clicked open. Lelouch, though, didn't bother looking up. It was probably just Cecile with his next meal. Although, he could have sworn it hadn't been that long since she last came in. He knew he didn't have a clock, and thus, had a vague sense of time, but he couldn't be _that_ off, could he?

"I see Your Majesty is entertaining himself," an annoyingly high pitched voice remarked.

"Lloyd," Lelouch said, a touch colder than he normally would have, as his eyes flicked towards the door where two people entered. He still hadn't quite forgiven the man for his passive betrayal. Behind the earl's tall figure stood his female assistant, Cecile, who was in the process of pocketing a gun in a concealed holster under the folds of her uniform. A gun? This raised Lelouch's eyebrow. "Did something happen?"

"Ahh... as expected of you, Your Majesty. You notice things quickly."

"You can stop that."

"Your Majesty?"

"That," Lelouch said, returning his eyes to the chessboard. "I'm not the emperor anymore. You don't have to call me that."

"I see," was all Lloyd said. A momentary silence ensued before the scientist spoke up again, resuming his cheery tone. "Well then, Your Majesty, it doesn't seem like there's anyone here after all."

"Like I said—" Lelouch said instinctively but stopped suddenly, "Hold on, what do you mean no one is here? Didn't Schneizel tell you all to stay away?"

"He did, but there was a security breach so Her Highness Cornelia sent us down here to check. But as I expected, no one is here."

"You expected no one to be here?" Cecile echoed.

"Well, it's quite fundamental. Sector Eleven _does_ have the tightest security in the castle. If someone was able to get in here at all, they wouldn't have been caught. Hacking into the system to trigger the alarm to distract us would be a far easier task."

"Distract you from what, exactly?" Lelouch asked carefully.

"Oh, we're being attacked at the moment," Lloyd returned casually with a smile.

"Lloyd..." the woman gasped.

"It's fine, isn't it?" the earl said, "After all, His Majesty must be bored so some news from the outside world should cheer him up."

"I haven't heard anything." Lelouch blinked. If there was a battle ongoing, shouldn't it be pretty loud outside?

"Understandable considering how far underground we are."

"Who's attacking?"

Lloyd's eyes narrowed in sly pleasure. "Ho? Is Your Majesty interested?"

So that was his game. Lelouch turned away from the pair, refusing to take the bait he was being offered. "No," he replied bluntly. He had gone through enough battles to last him a lifetime and even beyond that. "Don't tell me then."

Lloyd laughed heartily and clasped his hands behind his back as his mirth died away. "Well, the truth is: we don't know. The knightmares attacking don't have any markings or emblems. What's absolutely shocking is the fact that the enemy has ten knightmare machines equipped with the Energy Wing System we developed." He waited expectantly.

The former emperor sighed when the silence drew out. He rolled his eyes and fixed Lloyd with an odd look. "Why is that shocking? The Energy Wing System is a seven-year-old technology. It shouldn't be too hard to imagine that engineers from other fractions have finally come up with it on their own."

Infinitely happy that Lelouch decided to play along with him, he answered, "Because after Zero Requiem, we realized a fatal error in the system: no one could use it. We didn't notice this flaw earlier because two aces were the initial pioneer pilots. Unfortunately, it turned out to be too complex a system for normal pilots, meaning only an exceptional few can utilize it effectively. Even in a country as large as Britannia, only eight knights have proven they can handle the Energy Wing System, and all eight of them are in the current generation of the Knight of Rounds."

"Only eight?" Lelouch repeated, stunned. The Energy Wing System was _that_ complex?

"Only eight who can use it effectively," Lloyd confirmed. "The number of receivers who can control the system go up many times that amount, but essentially, only eight can use it effectively in a battle without it turning into a hindrance over time. So, you see, for the enemy to have ten pilots..." He left the sentence unfinished.

Lelouch was silent for a moment. "Who's winning?"

"Princess Cornelia is holding the line," Lloyd answered something seriously for the first time since Lelouch woke up. Both were aware, however, of what was left unsaid.

Cornelia is holding the line..._ for now... _And with Schneizel out of the picture...

"I see," Lelouch said slowly. "Cornelia has always been a capable battle commander."

"Indeed," Lloyd returned, his lips curled briefly. "Well, we best take our leave. Her Highness is expecting our report." He placed a long, flat object on the table beside the chess set, next to the folded origami crane. "Your Majesty must be bored, right? This is one of the newer inventions to this date. You can amuse yourself by playing around with it until the battle is over."

"Lloyd," Lelouch said without looking at the earl, "was it you who hacked into the alarm system?"

Lloyd's smile widened. "What a notion, Your Majesty," he said. "Why in the world would I do something like that?"

With that, both he and Cecile left through the door, the automatic lock clicking back into place. Lelouch let his gaze linger awhile on the door, part of him wondering if he would regret not trying to seize the opportunity to run while they left the door open during their conversation. He shook his head. Although she might not look it, Cecile Croomy was a trained officer. That fact coupled with his lack of motor control practically ensured he wouldn't get halfway down the corridor outside.

Lelouch picked up the device Lloyd left behind. It was thin, not more than two centimetres thick. After experimenting a little, he realized it actually consisted of two pieces of metal joined together by a round hinge so that it swung out at a ninety degree angle like half a picture frame or a boomerang. It was, perhaps, six inches long including the joint. From its structure, Lelouch could tell it was an electronic device but god knew what it did. After fingering it a bit, he scowled. There weren't any buttons. "Don't just leave me with something without telling me how to turn it on," the Black Prince muttered. Maybe that was just it though. Maybe Lloyd just wanted to give a bored child a Rubik's Cube to work out, keeping him busy while the adults were away.

"It's voice-controlled," a new voice supplied, making Lelouch jump.

His head snapped towards the source of the sound, and suddenly, his stomach flipped. Crawling out from the small gap between the capsule and the wall, was a six-year-old child... followed by another... followed by one more.

But of course, the first wasn't just any child. It was Ash vi Britannia – his _son_.

Lelouch immediately recognized the first as Ash. He couldn't have forgotten the boy's face even if he wanted to. The boy wore a white dress shirt, smartly overlaid with a deep purple vest, a small cream-coloured cravat held in place with a jewelled pin and long, black pants. The second one was a girl in a short, lavender dress with colourful embroidery. She had thick, black hair left to freely cascade down her shoulders until her waist. She stood, slightly shy, next to Ash. The last was another boy with brown hair and brown eyes with obvious Japanese features wearing something similar to Ash albeit minus the cravat. He stood straight up with his arms stiffly by his side, overdoing formality.

"Wha—"

Ash must have mistaken Lelouch's reaction for the statement instead of why there were suddenly three midgets interrupting his solitude for he clarified himself, "It's voice-controlled. You need to tell it to turn on." The boy wore an impassive face that would have made Schneizel proud, Lelouch was sure.

"That's not it," Lelouch said, his voice half a tone higher as he endeavoured to prevent panic from tightening his throat. His eyes flickered above their heads towards the door. Sure enough, it was still tightly closed and locked. "How..." he started disbelievingly, at a loss for words. _Calm down_, he told himself, _Breathe_. He was the Demon Emperor who made an enemy out of the world. Surely, he could have a calm conversation with his own son. Lelouch pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled once. "How did you get in here? Moreover..." he surveyed the new faces, finding that they did seem... familiar somehow. "Who are you two?"

"Ah," the girl blinked, fidgeting after having been directly referred to. She curtsied. "It's... It's nice to finally meet you, Uncle. My name is Danaë, Danaë li Britannia, First Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire."

Lelouch blinked like a deer caught directly in a car's headlights. He could see the resemblance in the shape of her face and her eyes. However... It couldn't be. It was too alien an idea. Was it possible? But she carried her name. Lelouch saw the need to blink once more before asking the obvious. "You're... Cornelia's daughter?"

"Yes, sir."

Lelouch took a moment to digest that piece of confirmation. It wasn't that he didn't believe his half-sister had a feminine side to her... Well, actually, that might have been it. Cornelia? Goddess of Victory and Witch of Britannia? It was hard to think that _anyone_ could 'sweep her off her feet'. Moreover, he saluted the man who would, or rather, could take Cornelia to be his bride. However, he would discount blind loyalty to eventually develop into something more. No second guesses were needed.

"Guilford's your father, isn't he?"

"Yes, sir."

Just as Lelouch thought... "And you?" he asked the Japanese boy though part of him already knew.

"Tohdoh Shiraishi," the boy said stiffly, almost _proclaiming_ his name, in perfect Britannian English accent. He blinked in surprise, having noticed that, though he spoke in English, he told his name in the Japanese fashion with the family name first and given name last. "_Ano..._ I mean, Shiraishi Tohdoh..." Shiraishi floundered, as if thinking of a way to redeem himself, before just finishing lamely, "sir."

Tohdoh's son.

This was... too much information to digest.

Ash turned and pointed towards the door. "We came in when Earl Asplund left the door open," he said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world to do. When he turned back to Lelouch, his stony expression faltered a bit. "You're... not mad, are you? Mother said you needed time to yourself but..."

The question seemed to disarm every defensive wall Lelouch spent nearly two decades building up around him. "No," he answered with a small shake of his head. "I'm not mad." Hearing that, all three pairs of little shoulders seemed to sag with relief as they exchanged small, secretive smiles with each other. Lelouch, however, frowned inwardly. "Who brought you three down here?"

"Um... no one?" Ash said awkwardly. The children started fidgeting uncomfortably again.

"Does anyone know you're down here?"

"Er... no?"

So the trio snuck down here by themselves... Wandering around when he knew he should remain out of sight in case there were staff loitering around; taking the initiative to come down and see Lelouch even though their first meeting hadn't gone well, against Schneizel's orders. Lelouch wondered just which side the boy inherited his recklessness from. "Wasn't anyone watching over you?"

"Well, yea, but we... kinda snuck past them."

They snuck past full grown adults. Lelouch didn't know whether to be impressed at their achievement or appalled at the prowess of Britannian guards. "How?"

The trio exchanged looks with each other again before replying together. "The ventilation system."

"The ventilation system..." Lelouch repeated bluntly. It was something so... classic. But wasn't the ceiling a little high up for a trio of children? "How did you reach the ventilation system?"

Slightly encouraged since they hadn't been told off so far, Danaë smiled and boasted, "Shiraishi's a ninja!"

Right. Kyoshiro Tohdoh's spawn. How could he _not_ have guessed?

"Not exactly..." the boy said half-heartedly, abashed.

Lelouch surveyed the trio again. A part of him was relieved. Apparently, his previous worry about Ash not having friends his own age to be around with was all for naught. He blinked, stopping himself there. He was hardly in a position to care for the boy. Lelouch couldn't get attached. After all, he was a man who was going to die soon. If he truly cared about Ash, he would hurry up and disappear. Part of him wanted to resume the evil him who told Ash he wouldn't recognize the boy as his son but... As the expression on Ash's horrified face flashed through his mind, Lelouch lost his voice. He cleared his throat.

"I'm not mad," he said again. "But what possessed you three to come down here?" He looked specifically at Ash. "Your mother would be worried sick. She could be looking for you this minute."

Ash's expression changed as he shifted his weight and averted his gaze. "She's not," was all he said.

For a moment, Lelouch couldn't comprehend. Why wouldn't Kallen be looking for Ash? Lelouch knew she genuinely cared for the boy more than anything else. He had borne the slap mark to prove it though the angry red had already subsided. She was a fighter and a knight but— His eyes widened briefly. Oh god. Kallen was a knight. Was it possible that she was fighting this very moment, risking her life this very moment? He hadn't considered it because he thought... no, he wanted to think... that Kallen gave up her piloting days to raise Ash. But even then, she was part of the Black Knights, wasn't she? If Cornelia was playing the role of commander instead of Suzaku, that meant they were in Britannia. The way Schneizel spoke of his visit to the East confirmed it. Pendragon was a good guess. It had already been seven years. It wouldn't take long to rebuild the capital.

However... Kallen had married him, Lelouch vi Britannia, of whom was a member of the Britannian Imperial Family. Not to mention she was mother to the heir apparent. That effectively made her...

Britannian.

"But it's fine," Ash said somewhat reluctantly. "Mother always comes back."

Lelouch recognized that tone. It was of someone not trying to convince others but trying to convince himself.

_Cornelia is holding the lines... for now..._

The image of Marianne's bloody corpse stood out vividly in his mind. Lelouch suddenly found it difficult to draw air into his lungs. He couldn't stop his heart from pounding heavier and heavier in his chest. Cornelia was losing, Kallen was fighting, and he was refusing to help, even when Lloyd came down to ask for it. The piece of titbit the Earl Asplund had shared was not helping. Suddenly, Lelouch _needed_ to be outside. But then, what sort of help could he possibly offer? He couldn't exactly come up with a strategy without knowing what sort of cards he had in his hand. All his knowledge on Knightmares and their weapons were probably long outdated. His eyes flickered towards the chess set, again, left half played. Automatically, he recalled how easily Schneizel had checkmated him, and he recoiled.

What was he thinking? He was in no position to rush out and 'save the day'. He might have been a good strategist back in his days, but that wasn't the case anymore. Who did he think he was? Still... the fact remained that if he did nothing, the situation would still stay the same with Cornelia barely holding the lines and him still being useless. However, Kallen was an ace. She wouldn't be taken down so easily.

"Ash," the word rolled strangely off his tongue as he realized it was the first time he was calling his son by name. When the boy looked up at him, also in mild surprise, the words of comfort that Lelouch was going to offer died at his throat. Lelouch saw himself: the boy who grew up without a mother. "How can we get out of here?"

The boy didn't respond at first but looked towards his friends. Apparently, he had figured out for himself that it was a bad idea for Lelouch to get out of this room. "What are you... What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to make sure your mother comes back," Lelouch returned without missing a beat.

For a moment, something flickered behind the boy's eyes but it was quickly snuffed out. "We can't."

"Ash—"

"It's not that we don't want to tell you," Danaë supplied. "The door can only be unlocked from the other side. And then, we need a card and the lock has to recognize your voice."

A mental oath flew through his mind. So they were stuck here until someone opened the door? A card and voice verification? The card was impossible to get, and Lelouch doubted his voice would be registered. Did Schneizel have to be so thorough? Was there really no other way to get out?

"Actually, you don't need a card," Ash corrected. "Uncle Gino forgot his once and used a password instead."

"Password?"

"He typed in twenty numbers into the lock," Ash said and added with a hint of embarrassment, "I counted."

"Can you remember it?"

Ash frowned as he thought. Finally, he shook his head. "It was a long time ago."

Damn. Had Lelouch known it would come down to this, he would have just left with Lloyd and be done with it. Blink. Lloyd. In a strike of sudden inspiration, Lelouch grabbed the device the scientist left behind. Lloyd would never do anything for nothing, right? God, how he was going to kill that earl if this was what Lelouch thought it was. The Britannian frowned. Um... Voice-controlled, right? "Power on?"

The empty space between the two pieces of metal came alive with a holographic screen. Lelouch had to say he was impressed. Its interface was similar to the ones he used to use though the design was greatly improved. There was only one shortcut file in the middle of the screen titled, quite ironically, 'Untitled01'._ Yes, Lloyd, very inconspicuous. _He experimentally taped it and the file opened, revealing only one line of numbers. Correction: one line of twenty numbers.

That sly, scheming...

"Do we still need a voice if we have the password?" Lelouch asked the trio, to which they nodded. Just when he was beginning to fell hopeless again, Danaë rummaged through her pockets and fished out a... music player? Without explanation, she pressed the play button. Through the build-in speakers, Lelouch recognized the voice immediately.

_"—ank you all for attending this press conference. I am Nunnally vi Britannia, the hundredth empress of the Holy Britannian Empire. The—"_

"We were going to use it but our plan didn't work out," the girl said before Lelouch could ask why she had a recording of one of Nunnally's press conference speeches.

"Plan?"

"We thought that if we tripped the alarm then maybe they would forget to bring their card and use the password. We were hiding in the ventilation above the door. Earl Asplund didn't forget though, but it was a good thing he left the door open!"

In spite of everything, Lelouch found himself smirking. So they were the ones who tripped the alarm? From their innocent plan that relied so heavily on chance to the fact they were scheming at all... What were they feeding these kids? And yet, Lelouch found that he felt a little... proud.

"So now all we have to do is get to the other side of the door."

They all looked up towards the vent in the ceiling.

* * *

><p>"Don't leave this room."<p>

Lelouch felt like such a hypocrite when he said those words to the three children, but what else was he supposed to do? Send them back up where they could run into servants on the way? When there was a battle occurring above ground?

Having taken off all excessive clothing when he was inspecting his scar and felt it too bothersome to put all of it back on, Lelouch wore a simple white shirt and black pants. Although moving still felt uncomfortable, it was manageable now after two days. He pocketed the mini-computer into his pants. It was then when his eyes laid on the purple crane. A small wave of nostalgia perforated through him. It was like trying to remember a memory that was just out of reach. He picked it up, unaware of violet eyes that followed his movements.

"Aunt Nunnally told me that if I made a thousand, my wish would come true," Ash said.

Lelouch frowned as he realized he... knew. That's right. It was Ash who made it. He figured out the steps just by seeing Nunnally's finished product once. But how did Lelouch know?

"I'll tell you a secret," Lelouch said, standing up and walking to the child. Putting it in the palm of the boy's hand, the image of an orange-haired girl smiling on a night with fireworks in the sky flashed in his mind. Pain seeped through his chest again. "Sometimes, you only need to make one."

He then stood up and moved towards the now open door. With a backward glance, he repeated himself, "Don't leave this room."

_Don't get attached, Lelouch_, he told himself. _Don't forget that you're a person who kills the people you love._

* * *

><p>Ash watched his father's form disappear out the door. He, above anything else, was afraid. He knew he had helped his father get out to help his mother, but he was still afraid. Clutching the paper bird, the words of a witch echoed in his mind:<p>

_"For example, your father… he'll wake up very soon."_

_"He will?"_

_"Yes, but he'll leave again very,__**very**__soon."_

_"You don't want it to end like this, do you? Do you want the power to keep your father? To keep him here with you and your mother? To stop him from leaving? "_

_"Do you have a wish, little boya? If so, shall we make a deal?"_

This wasn't what the witch was referring to, was it? His father was come back, wasn't he? The Britannian prince bit his lip. Why was he hesitating? He had it: the power to stop his father from leaving. This was the reason why he contracted with Miss Witch. The violet of his eyes stirred again as the Geass sprung to life. Just like last time, the power flung outwards and before long, found his father's heart. They connected. Every emotion his father was feeling aligned itself in Ash's heart, and the boy felt despair like no other. Colour drained from his face, and fresh tears formed again. He felt the world slip away as his legs gave way.

"Ash!" Danaë and Shiraishi called out uncertainly.

Shaking and wide-eyed, numb yet bleeding, he whispered, "He's not coming back."

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

I have learnt one thing when writing this chapter: I can't write from Lloyd's POV. I was stuck for three days with no progress at all because I was so insistent that I wanted to write from the crazy scientist's eyes lol... Okay, I know I'm overdue so I'll keep this short.

Thanks to all my reviewers! I love you all! Also, thanks to you all for adding CG: Second Gen as a fav or alert. It really, _really_means a lot to me. Thanks for all your support, guys!

To Lenkish: Omg, I do not deserve your praise! But thank you so much. To answer your questions, yes, the Ashford Family will be making an appearance in this story. Orange boy, funny that you would mention him, will be making his appearance in the next chapter. I'll tell you straight here that no, Zerozaku didn't say a word. Thanks again!

Do remember to review!

Until inspiration visits me again,

Could be more Original.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Code Geass obviously isn't mine. How can you be sure? If it was, the ending would have been different. T.T

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 7<em>

Lelouch was faced with three more problems on top of the ones he already had, as if he didn't have enough of them. For one, he had virtually no idea how to navigate his way through a building that was built after he 'died'; two, he didn't have an inkling as to how he was going to help coordinate a battle when every military technology he knew was likely outdated; and three, even if he knew what cards he had to play, he didn't have a way to communicate them. All in all, as the situation presented itself, Lelouch would never have bothered moving from his room. The odds were too bad, and he was at too much of a disadvantage. However, as imbecilic and reckless this decision was, his feet wouldn't stop running.

In spite of his more logical side screaming strings of curses at him, he continued. Although, if he was going to do this, then he might as well do it right… for once. Not knowing what cards he had in his hands was unacceptable. That being his worst problem, he needed to rectify it. It might have been an effort of pure desperation, but Lelouch didn't find it strange that he was automatically reaching for the pocket computer that Lloyd gave him, seeing as he had nothing else to work with. Verbally turning it on, he skimmed through the interface. He was convinced that Lloyd couldn't have placed only one file in it.

And he was right. Opening the main documents, a multitude of folders stared up at him. Scouring through said files, though, he couldn't find anything that remote resembled a map or military records. God, if Lloyd left this device behind with a motive of getting Lelouch out, then shouldn't he provide these things? Lelouch did, however, come across one file that required a password. He narrowed his eyes as he debated what the password might be, or if he should even try cracking it in the first place. He wouldn't put it pass the earl to have a system that would trigger a bug to delete or corrupt the file if someone gave the incorrect password too many times. But then, if Lloyd left this behind for Lelouch, he wouldn't have implanted anything of the sort, would he?

Lelouch shook his head inwardly. Creating a file containing twenty numbers was easy enough, but deleting and implanting normal defenses on the existing important files would take time, time that Lloyd wouldn't have unless he planned everything prior to the attack. Lloyd was a genius, Lelouch would admit, but he wasn't psychic. There was no way he could have known about the ambush on Pendragon castle.

And that placed Lelouch vi Britannia back to square one. However…

The more he ran, though, the more he realized: this wasn't… unfamiliar to him. He wasn't referring to the situation, of course. Rarely did Lelouch put himself in such an idiotic circumstance. Rather, the place he was in at this moment felt… recognizable. It was then when it occurred to him. How could he have forgotten? The Imperial Family had long since established a standard escape route, no matter which manor, villa or castle they built. It was a system set up so that no matter where a member of the Imperial Family was, one would be able to navigate through the escape route even if they were alone, as long as they were in the homes of another royal. With Charles zi Britannia having so many consorts and heirs, it was something of a necessity. It was information only taught to immediate descendants of the royal line – it was also one of the first to be taugh. A smirk graced his features briefly at the clearing of problem number one. It was nice to know they decided to stick by this old tradition. With renewed confidence, he continued making his way down the underground tunnel, in the opposite direction of where an elevator would lead to the upper floors of the main building.

Then there was the factor of him being out-dated. While he was sure he would be able to put up a fight with whatever information he had, he doubted they still kept seven-year-old technology equipped on the later generations of Knightmares. There was no way around it. He needed to know what he had to play with.

Lelouch grimaced. This was Lloyd's device. Surely, there would be _something_ about Knightmare technology in here since he _was_ the Head of Knightmare Development. Or at least, he was when Lelouch was emperor. Considering that man's inhuman passion for the towering robots, Lelouch was sure he would tamper around with Knightmares even if he was fired. That didn't look to be the case though. That, and Lelouch knew Schneizel wouldn't let Lloyd's brilliance go to waste, even if they did have to put up with the earl's less than normal behavior.

But of course, as impulsive and borderline defiant as he was, Lloyd wasn't an idiot. If he left such information in his devices, things that could be taken away, misplaced or stolen, he would have…

… placed a password on the file.

Lelouched grimaced.

The former emperor was drawn out of his thoughts as he came to a fork in the road. Left or right? Right. Although never one gifted specifically with photographic memory, he came close. It was a fact that he was eternally (however long 'eternally' was going to be for him) grateful for. Already, he was short on breath, faster than usual, he noted. Why, of all things, was he terrible at physical education? Thankfully, a few more turns later, Lelouch found himself running towards a short stair case leading up to the back side of a cellar door. And if he hadn't taken any wrong turns, he would likely end up a significantly safe place, though it couldn't be too far from the castle since he hadn't been running nearly long enough.

Bursting through, Lelouch took deep breaths to repay his oxygen debt. Immediately, his eyes widened for before him, as he stood atop a hill, were Pendragon castle engulfed battlefield of explosions.

_Excellent._ He was now exceptionally far away from both, thereby increasing the severity of his remaining two problems. Lelouch was no where near Lloyd and his archive of Knightmare technology, didn't have a single device to contact anyone with and was even further away from a battle station that connected to every soldier.

Maybe he really _should_ have thought this one out better.

"Halt!"

Out of seemingly nowhere, a blue sheen knightmare landed heavily but controlled on the ground behind him. A torrent of air rushed at Lelouch, sending his loose clothing into frenzy, forcing him to hold his arms up to protect his face. When the wind died down, Lelouch opened the eyes he didn't remember shutting. The knightmare's design was so completely alien to Lelouch that he didn't know which side this model was on. More importantly, another concern sent his heart beating in overdrive. It wasn't the giant rifle the knightmare was pointing at him. Oh, no, believe it or not, he had seen and been through far worse things. Rather, it was because he had been seen. _Him_. A _dead_ man. _Lelouch vi Britannia_. He could _hear_ everything Zero Requiem accomplished crumbling around his ears.

Panic threatened to swallow him whole again.

"In the name of the Holy Britannian Empire, identify yourse—"

The voice stopped midsentence as the knightmare frame _recoiled_. This was it. He knew it. He would be discovered alive and all the deaths he had sacrificed without consent would all be for naught. He screwed his eyes shut as his hands fisted lightly, unwilling to watch all his efforts unravel. He _knew_ it was a bad idea to get involved. Why, oh _why_, hadn't he listened to his sensible side? He couldn't even run. Lelouch was fooling himself if he thought he could outrun a knightmare.

It was then when the cockpit opened and the faint sound of someone moving out and landing on the grass made its way to Lelouch's ear. There was more rustling as the knight moved, then nothing. Silence ensued for a full five seconds.

"Y-Your Majesty!"

Lelouch's eyes shot open. "Jeremiah?"

True to his eyes, Jeremiah Gottwald, Lelouch's once loyal knight and key piece to finishing Zero Requiem, was kneeling down on one knee in front of the Demon Emperor, his head bowed. He wore the uniform of en entry level pilot, as well as the geass canceller on his face. The latter was probably impossible to take off. Lelouch must not have recognized the knight's voice through the speakers in his panic at being discovered.

"Your Majesty, forgive my insubordination. I can't even begin to express how glad I am to see you awake."

Awake. Not alive.

Lelouch's eyes narrowed dangerously as panic slowly turned into low seething. "You knew," he accused.

He could see Jeremiah's body tense up visibly as he hesitated to reply. "I did," Jeremiah admitted, his tone slightly ashamed.

"And you _let_ them?"

"I did."

An ill feeling boiled in his gut. Lelouch had trusted Jeremiah, almost as much as he trusted Suzaku, and that was saying something. Jeremiah was one of the very few people who completely knew the extent of Zero Requiem, down to the last detail of who wore the mask. Lelouch was sure that Jeremiah's devotion to the vi Britannias wouldn't fail him. But then, it had always been Lady Marianne who Jeremiah was devoted to, wasn't it? Perhaps Lelouch was just kidding himself that he could trust _anyone_ with anything mildly significant. "Do I even want to hear your explanation?" Lelouch asked, keeping a tight rein on both his disappointment and resentment

Jeremiah hesitated again, as if truly debating if he should just dutifully take all the due condemnation unconditionally or to voice his defense.

"Lady Kallen was carrying your child," he said finally.

Lelouch was immediately hit with an uneasy feeling, and he didn't know why. Maybe it was because it was strange hearing the titled 'Lady Kallen' even though he knew it was now her due with or without Lelouch being alive. Or maybe it was Jeremiah reminding him of Ash? It could have been the whole idea in a general sense. Lelouch neither knew nor cared. "You knew I wanted to die, regardless," he gritted out, noticing that those words echoed strangely in his own ears.

"That, I didn't, my lord," Jeremiah returned, startling the former emperor slightly, "I would _never_ presume to know whether or not you would still want to die knowing you had a son."

Lelouch's brows furrowed as, for once, he had no comeback. Emotions were swelling, churning and tossing inside him. He took a moment to recollect himself, to decide if he was still angry after hearing the knight's response. He wasn't even sure if he could count Jeremiah's actions as treason anymore. Being in a coma for so long had obviously muddled his ability to judge. Averting his head to the side, he said, "Stand up, Jeremiah."

The knight did so out of the corner of his eyes, slowly. For a moment, Lelouch thought he would have said something but at the last second, the words couldn't leave his lips. He chided himself. Every second he dawdled, a soldier could die.

"Jeremiah," he ventured tentatively. "You no longer have any obligation to follow my orders."

"My loyalties will always lie with vi Britannia family."

"You gain nothing obeying me."

"Irrelevant."

Lelouch smirked a little at that. Somehow, he knew he would be hearing something like that. "You'll regret selling your loyalties to a demon."

"I have yet to, Your Majesty."

Perhaps there was a bigger idiot than Lelouch in existence after all, but somehow, he was a little… comforted at that fact. Guiding his eyes up the body of the new knightmare to avoid making eye contact, Lelouch said with a small grin, "In that case... Lelouch vi Britannia orders you: give me your knightmare."

For the first time in his memory since Lelouch gained power, a soldier replied with clear irises and void of a single shred of doubt, "Yes, my lord."

* * *

><p>"Do you think Her Highness Cornelia can turn the situation around as it is now?" Cecile voice asked her long-time superior as she held her hands in font of her lap in a mildly tensed grip. Much like the main battle station where Britannia's military general was posted, a large screen feeding back live footage of the battle was playing on the far wall.<p>

Lloyd hummed, flexing his hands in his coat pockets. His eyes were narrowed in concentration as he surveyed the battle. It was one of those very rare moments when he was acting his age, he supposed. He never enjoyed these moments, and it was for an obvious reason. After all, you knew for sure you were in a bad predicament when even the eccentric Earl of Pudding couldn't quip and joke. "It's hard to say," he said, his loyalties to Britannia preventing him from stating the worst case scenario out plainly even though everything pointed in that direction. It would be like jinxing the situation and whatever deities existed knew they couldn't afford that. "Don't you find it strange, Cecile?"

"Strange?"

"The enemy force isn't suffering many casualties. Their forces increased to a hundred and stopped, but even though they're outnumbered three to one, they haven't suffered many losses in count."

Cecile's feminine features creased as her brows furrowed in concern. "That's because all the individual stats of the enemy pilots are impossibly high, isn't it? Even the lowest stat comes short of being labeled an Ace just a little."

Lloyd pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and looked towards the main computer screen of the Research Center where pictures, bars and numbers were being updated real time as the battle raged on. "That's true," he agreed mildly, "but doesn't it seem like we're doing terribly?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, wh—" Lloyd began but he was suddenly cut off when his cell phone rang. Blinking in surprise for a moment as he wondered who would choose such a moment to call him, he reached into his coat and pulled out his personal device. An eyebrow raised up high when he read the name on the caller identification: Gottwald. "Jeremiah?" he hummed aloud.

His female assistant perked up in curiosity at the name, having turned away when Lloyd reached for his phone to give him his due privacy.

Indeed, why would the knight be calling at a time like this? It couldn't be about problems concerning the new model, was it? Even if it was, he would have used his radio. Could it be that the communicator malfunctioned? Jeremiah wasn't even involved in the battle right now, so why would he be calling on a private line? Well, he would never know unless he picked up the phone call. Flipping the device open and effectively answering the call, he placed it to his ear. "Lloyd speaking."

"_Lloyd._"

Lloyd Asplund knew that voice. The earl allowed the broadest grin to spread across his face from ear to ear. "Why, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" he ignored the questioning glance he was receiving from Cecile. "I supposed it would be safe to assume that you've managed somehow." Either that or underground reception had suddenly and greatly improved. He had purposely dropped the titles for now. It would be just slightly troublesome if someone were to overhear their conversation.

"_Indeed… Though as much as I would love to hear your grand tale of how you organized this, I'm afraid it will have to wait until after this battle._"

It was always so amusing how everyone always assumed the worst of him. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Lloyd grinned through the receiver. "But do tell how I can be of service."

"_Humph_," came the disbelieving scoff at the earl's claim. "_Information, Lloyd._"

"You already have it," Lloyd answered, not bothering to keep the smugness out of his tone of voice.

"_I thought as much. The password?_"

Oh yes, of course. The password. How to relay a password through a mobile phone without allowing the possibility of a leak? It wasn't the line he was worried about, and while he was pretty sure everyone here was busy either not dying or preventing others from death, one could never be too careful. Lloyd returned one hand to the contents of his pocket as he leaned back a bit, shifting all his weight towards his heels. His face thoughtful and slightly upturned in reminiscence, he said, "I remember the day when you first piloted a knightmare – back when you were a student at… what was that place called? Anyways, you were so much more agreeable back then."

There was a pause on the other side of the line before Lelouch's voice came through. "_Interesting notion. There are a few more things I need._"

Lloyd moved towards the main computer. Staring down at the complex control panel, he pressed a few buttons easily, seemingly at random. "Naturally," the earl said pleasantly, "I've synced it with the Devon."

There was another pause. Likely, the former emperor was skimming through the information Lloyd had just sent Jeremiah's knightmare. "_One more thing_," Lelouch said.

"And that is…?"

"_I need to contact Cornelia._"

"Easily remedied."

* * *

><p>"<em>CON! GRA! TU! LA! TIONS!"<em>

Every head in the battle command center turned towards the high pitched voice of the Earl Asplund, including Cornelia li Britannia's. What was Lloyd doing back here when he only left twenty minutes ago after giving her his report? Needless to say, with the enemy reading her like a book and the battle slowly slipping out of her control, it didn't take much to explode the sizzling volcano inside the aristocrat. Her narrow eyes zeroed in on the earl as he descended the stairs. "Lloyd!" she barely bothered to control her tone of voice. "We're in the middle of a battle operation. This is _not_ the time! So if you didn't come in to help… Get. Out."

"Ahh…" Lloyd smiled, slightly abashed. "But I did come to help… or at least to bring a present." Reaching the princess, he held an item out on an open palm. It was a small ear-piece with an attached microphone.

"What is this?" Cornelia asked suspiciously, noticing that he was wearing an identical one as well.

"I recently came across a scientific piece stating that wearing these increases one's analytical ability," Lloyd lied horribly but through his teeth nonetheless. "Care to put the theory to the test, Your Highness?"

Had Lloyd lost his mind? Cornelia had to remind herself – twice – that the earl was eccentric, not asinine, before taking the ear-piece. Pushing her hair behind her ear, she fixed the ear-piece on. It was then when she noticed the three officials from the Order of the Black Knights had disappeared. As if reading her mind, Lloyd explained, "I showed them out cordially, Your Highness."

That increased her suspicions ten fold. Just what was Lloyd up t—

"_Cornelia._"

The voice that came out of her wireless ear-piece made Cornelia's heart skip a full two beats. It took everything she had learnt as a princess to keep her composure and refrain from screaming his name and _demanding_ how he got out of a high security locked room. It wasn't possible to get connection down from where his room was. Lloyd was the same, smiling annoyingly from ear to ear, acting completely oblivious to the severity of the situation.

For some reason, that made her even more livid.

"What is the meaning of this?" her voice was so calm, it surprised even herself. She kept her tone low to prevent any of the present officers from hearing her. "I don't have time for games."

"_Let me coordinate this battle, Cornelia._"

Cornelia's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Out of the question," was her blunt reply.

"_I've always beaten you at chess_," a semi-smug Lelouch reminded her.

"I told you: this isn't a game."

"_I know._"

It was his tone at that point that told Cornelia this wasn't the same Lelouch she was talking to on the night he awakened from his coma. He sounded calm and composed. He wasn't truly there yet but there was a shadow of who he used to be seven years ago. Not that Cornelia was going to admit it aloud at this moment, of course. Her indignant and semi-suicidal half-brother had just woken up from a seven-year-long-coma. There was no way she was allowing him, genius strategist or not, to coordinate a battle.

"The answer is still no. If you haven't noticed, seven years is a long time. Technology isn't the same anymore. You don't know our forces, and you don't know what the enemy is capable of."

"_That's been rectified._" This voice, however, didn't belong to Lelouch.

Turning around, Cornelia found that the earl was no where in sight. A vein in her forehead pulsed. The scientist must have used the opportunity of when Cornelia was distracted with Lelouch to slip out of the command center. Why did she somehow suspect that Lloyd had a hand in Lelouch getting out of his room?

"Lloyd, who's side are you on?"

"_Britannia's, Your Highness. Who else would I be siding with?_"

"_Lelouch can do it._" Another voice Cornelia recognized entered the conversation: Kururugi Suzaku. Just how many people were connected? "_If he says he can, he can._"

"_Cornelia, trust me._" Lelouch's voice came through again after a pause.

Cornelia didn't answer immediately. Her mind wandered back to the hotel hijacking incident so long ago. Cornelia hadn't been able to weave her way into the site to save the hostages, of whom included Euphemia. That day, she had been quite ready to sacrifice her own sister for the majority. However, Lelouch found a way to gain both sides of the coin, namely saving the hostages and punishing the terrorists.

"Thirty minutes."

"_More than enough."_

"Do you have a plan?"

"_I wouldn't have called if I didn't._"

* * *

><p>"I wouldn't have called if I didn't," Lelouch said as he loosened the first two buttons of his dress shirt with his left hand whilst holding Lloyd's 'toy' in his right hand.<p>

The password was the name of a place. Specifically, the place where he had first piloted a knightmare. There had been a small mental debate where that place was actually. However, his doubts were dashed when the student remark came up. His first experience piloting when he was a student at Ashford (the only time he was ever a student) was none other than at Shinjuku Ghetto. For a moment, he wondered why the earl would choose such a password. But then, he could see a small part of the strategy behind it. No one would think to relate a Japanese location with a Britannian earl. And considering how Lelouch knew how Lloyd's mind worked, that was, he didn't, he should probably drop the idea.

For the last eight minutes or so, Lelouch had been committing the latest knightmare technology to memory, both released and unreleased. While this might have seemed like an impossible task, Jeremiah had conveniently informed him which Knightmares would be involved in the battle. And because Lloyd had categorized everything by knightmare model, it meant Lelouch only had to fully remember five different models and their respective weapons: Cornelia's Evienne, Kallen's Garient, the Glaston Knights' Bedivere, Jeremiah's Devon and the mass production model Barret used by the main army forces.

He would have added Tristan to the list, had he not been also informed that it had already been shot down, within the first fifteen minutes of combat, he might add. Lelouch was just a little crossed at that fact. While he didn't particularly like the fellow, there was no denying the amount of flexibility Lelouch plans would, did, lose at the lost of such a chess piece. Was that man or was he not a member of the Knight of Rounds?

The second class of information he attained from Lloyd was the combat stats of all the soldiers currently on the battlefield. Again, he didn't need to look at all of them. With a simple command to dismiss all names having the average combat ability under eighty-five out of a hundred, he was left with twenty-nine names.

Adequate.

"Cornelia," Lelouch said as he silenced his conscience. "I need you in your knightmare."

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Right so… WHERE THE HELL HAVE I BEEN? We'd all like to know, wouldn't we? Well, discounting the fact that I _was_ a little low on inspiration, my UniPlacement Exam results were released in March (the joy of my straight A's were shot down by a B in history, in case you were wondering -.-) and since then, I've been hunting down university websites and deciding the course of my future ;A;… Some of you guys might find it weird that I still need to decide since I wrote it on my profile I wanted to do pharmacy but you know… life doesn't go the way you want it to most of the time.

So then I got sick (still am), celebrated my birthday (yay for me) and passed my driving exam (just barely x.x).

I'm going to apologize that this chapter wasn't all that exciting but keep in mind that this was just the set up for the fireworks that are to come in the next chapter.

Right, so, despite all you guys' praise, I notice a major loophole in my story after rereading it for the umpteenth time and that is: Lelouch's geass should be visible to Ash. That, and logically speaking, he would be casting off orders left and right when he was talking, especially to Ash and the kids in the last chapter. I am… _still_ working on how to cover that up since it entirely slipped my mind. But yes, in case you were wonder, I did do my research for the names of the new Knightmare models. (Gawd, it was hard… I was never familiar or good at folklore, particularly the Athurian ones.)

As always, thank you all so, so much for reviewing, nitpicking, praising and adding CG: SecondGen to your fav and alert lists! I hope I haven't lost any of you in the lag of this update. Don't forget to drop me another review this time around!

Until inspiration visits me again,

Could be more Original.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Code Geass obviously isn't mine. How can you be sure? If it was, the ending would have been different. T.T

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 8<em>

How had it come down to this? That was the question that continuously mocked Cornelia li Britannia as she stalked through the double doors towards the Knightmare Deployment center. Proud as she was, Cornelia wasn't overly arrogant. She knew that she wasn't the best tactician in the world. Far from, actually. However, that didn't mean that she wasn't _one of the best_. Setting aside raw talent, nothing was spared when it came to employing the best tutors for the education of those of royal birth. That, and Cornelia wasn't someone who lacked in real battle experiences. If there was something Cornelia was confident in herself about, it was warfare. It was, perhaps, a sad and bloody truth, but the truth nonetheless.

Among her siblings, there was no question she was a strategist of whom could only be outclassed by Schneizel and Lelouch, and even then neither could read her _this_ well. It was like she was being cut off before she could even set up the stage for her plans.

And that was why she, the Witch of Britannia, was grandly, tremendously, unspeakably and, perhaps, a little vulgarly, pissed off.

It felt as if this enemy strategist, whoever he or she was, either knew Cornelia supremely well or could read minds.

Cornelia hated dealing the "it's supernatural" card out. It felt oddly like an excuse for her own short-comings. After all, this wasn't the first time she was being read so well on the field. While Lelouch had the Geass, it wasn't something that helped with reading an opponent. No, while the Geass twisted odds in his favor at times, the scheming part was all Lelouch. That was why it wasn't too far-fetched to think that the enemy coordinator was just plainly and simply…

…better than Cornelia.

Cornelia definitely had seen better days.

"Your Highness," a few soldiers caught sight of her and snapped into sharp salutes.

"Move Evienne into the launching bay," Cornelia ordered without even bothering to return the soldierly gesture.

"It's been done, Your Highness," a soldier a notch higher in ranks than the others said. "Earl Asplund sent word."

Lloyd… another person she would pick a bone with when this was all over.

"Good," she said nonetheless. "Inform the Glaston Knights that I'll be joining the battle." Reaching over her left shoulder with her right hand, she grabbed a fistful of her own mantle and peeled it off in one swift movement. Handing it to a soldier, she was followed as she climbed up the stairs on the far side of the room. Evienne's design wasn't far from her original Gloucester. It still wore the same shade of purple, but the structure was slicker as well as sharper, making Evienne faster and more responsive. It was still far more heavy set than most Knightmare frames though, considering Cornelia had always been one to favor power and defense over speed and dexterity. A golden lance, the signature weapon of the Glaston Knights, was held firmly within the grip of one giant hand.

No, nothing had changed much on the outside, but that didn't mean the interior was the same as well. Cornelia swung herself into the open cockpit with practiced ease. Her body practically responding by itself to initiate the launching sequence, by the time she realized it, she was off.

Evienne swiveled masterfully across the solid surface, smoothly making her way towards the main concentration of the battle. She was mostly unhindered until she skimmed past her own forces, heading straight towards an enemy Knightmare she had marked from a mile away. Still amazingly irked from before as she brandished her spear, she impaled the unsuspecting Knightmare and, without pause, wretched her weapon free to hurl it at another unit with an almighty heave of one robotic arm. The lance shot through the air, taking not only one but also a second when the force tore the first unit off its feet, crashing it into its comrade.

Three explosions simultaneously went off, leaving all that remained to be a pile of blackened metal and a golden lance standing unscratched in its midst. Without hesitation, Cornelia maneuvered her Knightmare around, gliding past the wreckage while retrieving her weapon in one breath. Her presence, though, did not go unnoticed for long. Although she didn't participate in nearly as many battles as when she did when she was the Britannia's Goddess of Victory, Cornelia's Evienne was still an icon to be feared. Nearby enemy units turned visibly more wary that a new formidable enemy had appeared.

"You're attracting too much attention to yourself, Cornelia," Lelouch said through her earpiece.

"Are you telling me that you didn't bring me out here to take down enemy forces?" the Britannian princess asked with a cocked eyebrow though she knew her brother wouldn't be able to see it.

"No, I'm telling you to wait for my signal before you take them out. The conditions aren't cleared yet."

"Conditions," Cornelia echoed.

There was a grunt of confirmation from Lelouch's end but he offered no elaborations. Instead, he posted her with a strange question. "Cornelia," he started. "How much do you trust your Glaston Knights?"

"The Glaston Knights are my hand-picked, personal guards," she stated. "I wouldn't choose them if I didn't trust them."

"I wasn't asking if you trusted them," her brother said. "I asked how much. With your life?"

There was smallest pause before she replied with a firm voice, "Yes." Naturally, she wouldn't fight alongside a specific group of soldiers unless she trusted them with her back.

"With mine?"

This pause was longer. What was that supposed to mean? Why did she feel as if Lelouch as implying something else with all his questions? True to her suspicions, Lelouch spoke up again when she didn't. "Let me rephrase that: With the secret of my existence?"

Cornelia's eyes narrowed. This question was harder. "Yes," she said again, "but I'd rather not. The less people who know, the better."

"Duly aware," he said, sounding slightly distracted. A message popped up on her screen, displaying a single coordinate. "The Glaston Knights are to rendezvous with you soon. Stay close to that coordinate. When I give the signal, I need you at that point precisely."

"What's the signal?"

"Suzaku."

* * *

><p>"Why isn't anyone around?" Suzaku asked tentatively as he followed the Britannian scientist into a quite deserted building.<p>

"Ahh~ this is where we house the equipment that are still in their experimental stage," Lloyd said with a blissful smile, leading the cloaked and masked Japanese into the dimly lit hall. On one side, there were two long tables littered with various mechanical parts. Other electronic tools lined the walls alongside a stretch of computers. The wires all around could be very well be used as curtains as, without a doubt, this must have been Lloyd's haven on the military grounds. Out back, large items were draped with dirty, stained clothes, some suspiciously looking like silhouettes of Knightmare Frames. "There's usually no one here apart from my own personal team and right now, they're busy at the deployment center."

"I… see." How was it that, somehow, no matter where he was or what Suzaku had become, he was still doing what he initially did as a Private of Britannia: testing Lloyd Asplund's new toys.

"Oh, don't worry," the scientist said. "We're quite sure this one works."

"Quite sure?" Suzaku echoed in mild disbelief. "Haven't you tested it before?" This Japanese, for one, knew for a fact that it wasn't in Lloyd's inability to test vital equipment during missions. Even better, it wouldn't be the first time _he_ was the one doing the testing during said missions. "And this thing is supposed to be the key to Lelouch's plan?"

"Indeed," Lloyd replied with irrational optimism though he didn't specify to which question he replied to.

"Lloyd…" Cecile's voice came from behind some computers. She stood up, revealing herself. Giving her superior a blunt look which Lloyd had the good grace to shy away from without losing the mirth on his face, she said, "You shouldn't joke around at a time like this." She offered an abashed smile to Suzaku, "It's been awhile, hasn't it? Don't worry. The item itself is tested and foolproof. We often use _it_ in tests, actually. It's the Knightmare you'll be using that you might have to be wary about." She motioned to an alien blue frame standing off to the side, its cover already pulled away. An experimental frame? Why was Suzaku not surprised? "The Devon," Cecile introduced, "is Britannia's latest prototype. Only two have been made, this being the spare. Sir Gottwald is test piloting the main frame as we speak. So far, there haven't been any major problems but we haven't tested it in combat yet." Cecile turned around and offered an object Suzaku immediately recognized as the Devon's key. "If possible, you shouldn't involve yourself in too much of it in case something happens."

Suzaku nodded though he knew as much as the two scientists that that wasn't going to be very possible. "I'll do my best," he promised, because, really, that was the only thing he could give his word on.

Cecile nodded in turn. "You don't have the time to read the manual this time around but knowing you, you should be fine," she said before handing him something on counter: a pilot suit cut distinctively in Britannia's uniform design. "You'll need to change into this. The last thing we want is people seeing Zero piloting a Britannian model."

That was something Suzaku agreed whole-heartedly with. Taking the uniform, he cast an uneasy glance towards the Knightmare. How long had it been since he had piloted one of these seriously? As Zero, he was on field in his own Knightmare but it was a well-known fact that Zero didn't really participate in battles. He was the organizer and mastermind, only making a move if necessary. Lelouch had been an exceptional knight by all standards but Suzaku had always held back to match the image his best friend left behind. Not that he had much training or practice when he first piloted Lancelot in Japan all those years ago but still…

Piloting a Knightmare wasn't exactly like riding a bike.

"Now that Her Highness Cornelia isn't in the battle center to give verbal commands, how is Lelouch supposed to relay his orders?" the Japanese asked as the thought occurred to him. "The Britannian Army won't listen to anonymous orders like Kallen and Ohgi did in Japan."

"Hmm…" the earl hummed, a mischievous grin playing at the corners of his lips again. "That's because it's not going to be anonymous. Prince Schneizel is going to be the one relaying orders."

For a moment, the dots failed to connect in Suzaku's mind. Then it clicked and his eyes widened. "He's hacking into Prince Schneizel's private line?" he spluttered. "Is that even possible?"

"Of course it isn't," Lloyd said matter-of-factly, looking utterly aghast. He shook his head, as if he couldn't comprehend how Suzaku would even propose such an idea. "No, of course not," he dismissed, crossing his arms disapprovingly before adding, "Not unless you were the one who set it up in the first place."

* * *

><p>"Why Prince Schneizel?" Jeremiah frowned from where he stood behind the pilot seat in the Devon. It was just slightly uncomfortable, considering how Knightmare cockpits for models like the Devon weren't made for the occupation of two people. Thankfully, though, the cockpits had been modified to be a little bit more spacious this time around. As such, it was tolerable. For a military trained officer, this amount of discomfort was hardly worth noting or mentioning. For the last few minutes, he had been watching his liege lord running a complex system on Devon's computer. Having never been one for technology apart from basic usage and piloting, he couldn't understand most of it. However, after a while, his mind grasped enough fragmented data off the screen to know what the former emperor was doing. "Surely, Princess Cornelia's would be easier to access."<p>

Without taking his eyes off the screen and his fingers off the keyboard, Lelouch nodded. "It's true that for Cornelia's line, I could simply have asked her for the password and details, but that would never work." He paused to read something before leaning back in his seat. "Cornelia and I think differently. For soldiers that know her well enough – the Glaston Knights, for example – they would know in an instant that the orders were forged. I can't afford the disorder it might cause. As much as I hate to admit it, I relate better with Schneizel."

There were subtle differences between Schneizel and Lelouch as well, that, if you piled them up enough, you would see that the two brothers contrasted as much as black and white. But hopefully, the battle would end before anyone had the opportunity to compare them in such depth.

A green bar made its final leap, reaching a hundred percent completion accompanied with the words "Access Granted." The screen flashed once more, replacing the previous display to show bold green letters. "Welcome, Prince Schneizel."

"Lloyd does have his work cut out for him," Lelouch commented before uploading all the files he had been working on while waiting for the penetration to Schneizel's secured line. He held up one hand to his earpiece, holding down a button as he asked, "Suzaku, is the Devon ready to launch?"

"Yes," the Japanese's voice filtered through Jeremiah's own ear piece.

Lelouch nodded. "In that case, Operation Start." He pressed the send button. Hopefully, his half-brother wouldn't mind too much that Lelouch was stealing his identity for a half hour, not that Lelouch had any intentions of apologizing later even if he did.

* * *

><p>"General Fletcher!" a Britannian soldier called across the room, his voice held in a controlled tone despite the surprise and shock he received when he saw the message light up on his screen. "Orders have been sent over Prince Schneizel's command line."<p>

"What?" Fletcher, a solidly built man advanced in years and experience, questioned.

"Word must have gotten to His Highness," the soldier said. That wasn't very improbable with the technology at this moment.

"Relay them then," the general said. "What are you waiting for?"

"But sir… the orders…" the soldier, despite all the discipline drilled into him, stammered. The soldier was a veteran when it came to dealing with the works within the Command Center. He had relayed all kinds of orders by so many different commanders in the past few years. However, these orders… Well, frankly speaking, they were insane.

The general lifted one greyed eyebrow and with three large strides, he crossed to where the soldier was. His narrowed hawk eyes skimmed the orders on display before a scowl etched deep into his brow. Fletcher grimaced before grinding out, "Just do it."

"But sir!"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"No but the orders… this is calling _massacre_ for our own soldiers."

The Command Center went oddly silent upon hearing that statement. Even the general paused before straightening up. "I do not presume to know what His Highness is thinking but whatever he has in mind, His Highness has no intentions on losing. That much I am sure of. Relay the orders. Let's just hope that the prince has an ace up his sleeve."

"Yes sir," was the slow reply. Without another word, he turned back to his computer and did as he was told, a frown clearly creased into his face.

* * *

><p>"<em>Devon, the prototype model of the Camelot Research group, will have independent movement.<em>"

Upon seeing the order flash across his screen, the blue Knightmare shot from the launching bay and sped its way towards the battlefield.

"_Henceforth, the following soldiers will be referred to using the following code names._"

Kallen's heart skipped a whole beat when her computer automatically highlighted her name among the list of some thirty knights. "Q… 1," the two syllables fell from her lips as, for some reason, her throat constricted. Fear? Joy? Relief? Panic? She didn't know but one thing she was aware of, Schneizel wasn't the one in command.

"_The rest of the Britannian Army is to fall back to Vice Delta Formation._"

"That's suicide," Guilford, breathed. It meant that the rest of the army was to form a perimeter outside the battlefield. That effectively meant that the thirty soldiers including Devon were supposed to hold their own against the rest of the enemy forces that numbered at just over sixty at last count. Normally, being outnumbered two to one wasn't a worrying issue. They had won battles with worse odds but this was no normal enemy they were facing. Guilford didn't have time to think before his screen updated with personal orders containing one coordinate and one instruction.

* * *

><p>Suzaku, much to his relief, found that piloting was second nature to him. Making quick work over the controls, a giant leap into the air and his Knightmare was past the quick forming perimeter that the Barrets were forming. His machine barely touched the ground before he was off again, speeding towards the closest model with Energy Wings among the enemy forces. In one robotic hand, he held a small circular device roughly two inches in diameter. His mission was, more or less, simple enough if one discounted how much of an impossibility it was to accomplish it. What did Lelouch think he was? A miracle worker? Attach one of these devices to every Energy Wing model within the enemy ranks without engaging in battle, he said. Did he think that they were just going to idly stand there while Suzaku carried out his task?<p>

He could do it, though. He had to be able to. Suzaku was a soldier and he got things done. If Lelouch wrote out this scenario, it must be possible to accomplish. With that in mind, he activated the Energy Wings of Devon and shot into the air.

The first unit, a red Knightmare with yellow wings, noticed Suzaku belatedly, turning around just in time to see Suzaku's Devon achieve touching distance. Slamming the device onto its shoulder, Suzaku pushed himself upwards just as the red Knightmare raised its gun. Devon flipped over behind it and, for good measure, Suzaku lashed out a well-aimed kick on its back. Without hesitation, he was off again with the first device firmly planted. His sights were already focused on the second unit three hundred meters away.

This green Knightmare had his back to Suzaku, having been occupied with another airborne Britannian soldier. However, a moment before Suzaku extended his arm with the second device in hand, the green Knightmare swung its elbow backwards. Eyes widening and reflexes kicking in, the Devon bent backwards just as the attack flew through the space where the Devon's head occupied just moments ago. The enemy Knightmare wasn't done though, following his miss with a knee jabbing upwards. Knowing he had no time to react, Suzaku braced himself for the hit.

An explosion shook the Devon but the Japanese knew instantly that it wasn't one his own machine was involved in. Seeing the open window when the green Knightmare hesitated, he planted the device onto the humanoid robot's torso before twisting away. The enemy Knightmare was immediately bombarded with a heavy barrage of gunfire. With the agility granted by the Energy Wings, the green Knightmare evaded the assault but he was forced to abandon any sort of plans of retaliation for the Devon. Suzaku spared a look over his shoulder to see the green Knightmare sans left leg and Garient holding him at bay.

"We've been ordered to cover you," Kallen's voice filled his cockpit. "Go!"

Mixed emotions swelled in the Japanese, the same kind that always did when he was near Kallen. After all, he was the one who stabbed Lelouch through the heart. However, Suzaku didn't need telling twice. Sentiments and emotions could be left for later. Right now, he was a soldier on a mission.

He was off in a heartbeat.

* * *

><p>Suzaku was faster than Lelouch estimated. It was the fifth minute since the Japanese entered the field and Suzaku had already managed to attach eight out of ten of the devices. Not that he was complaining, of course. He only had seventeen minutes left on the clock before Cornelia's time allowance ended. It seemed, however, that his best friend was having a certain level of difficulty landing the last two marks. Lelouch watched with no small amount of anxiety as Suzaku took another minute and a half before the ninth was in place.<p>

So far, the twenty-nine Britannians he had singled out were holding well against the enemy. There were no casualties yet but two units had been forced to eject.

"The numbers have improved," Jeremiah commented, seeing that the casualties on the enemy's side were steadily increasing while Britannia's numbers were stubbornly holding on.

"Are you surprised?" Lelouch asked.

"My lord?"

"I am too," Lelouch said truthfully, lacing his fingers together as he placed his elbows on the arm rests on either side. "If you noticed before, the enemy used our superiority in numbers against us. They were, plainly put, using our Knightmares as shields. That hindered both our offensive power as well as coordination. However, I didn't think the situation would improve this much."

Why? There must have been _something_ that Lelouch did unknowingly that caused the enemy to lose an edge. Should he continue prodding the mystery or should he just be glad that he stumbled upon something that worked to his advantage and let it be? The former emperor narrowed his eyes. It was almost as if they weren't the same army Cornelia was fighting against. They were definitely less impressive than when Cornelia was coordinating the battle.

"Done, Lelouch," Suzaku's voice sounded in his ear.

Finally.

"Cecil, now," Lelouch notified as he skimmed over the keyboard again, sending out the orders to initiate phase two.

There was a break of two seconds before Cecil's reply came. "Voice frequency changed, radio frequency aligned."

In that moment, the battlefield disappeared under a thick blanket of black smoke.

Smoking the entire battlefield was a double-edged strategy. Yes, it blinded the enemy. However, at the same time, Britannian soldiers were cast equally into the dark. There was a reason why Chaffsmoke was reserved for retreats and escapes. There would be no need to see much if there was already a standard escape route mapped out. Now was the start of the moment of truth. Lelouch suppressed a rising discomfort in his gut by sheer willpower. He tried not to think about the three hundred some soldiers whose lives hung in the balance of every command he gave. Or maybe on contrary, he should. Maybe that was the one most important thing he needed to focus on. For some reason, Lelouch couldn't remember how he used to do it. What was he thinking of every time he found himself on standing the battlefield?

The destruction of Britannia.

Nunnally.

Survival.

It was little wonder why he was at a lost now. He no longer wanted Britannia destroyed, neither did Nunnally need his protection anymore, nor did he care about living. No, that was wrong—his last point anyways. He didn't "not care about living". In fact, he cared very much; he cared very much about _not_ living.

If the situation wasn't so serious, he would have laughed aloud.

What _the hell_ was he doing here?

He had no business being here. The dead did not concern themselves with the living. He should just pack up and leave, handing this already half-won battle to Cornelia. And he would have… had he not suddenly remembered.

He promised Ash he would bring his mother back.

It was a stupid and baseless promised he made in the heat of the moment; one that wasn't within his powers to keep.

It was a promise he did not intend to break.

"Lelouch!" Suzaku's voice shouted into his ear. "What are you doing?"

Lelouch's violet eyes snapped up towards the battlefield to see all ten of the enemy's Energy Wing Knightmares clear the dome of black camouflage. A curse slipping past his lips, he slammed his hand down on a button on the keyboard, praying the moment was not lost.

He held his breath for half a second in wait of the effect before Lloyd's technology proved true: the ten models faltered, arching almost gracefully in the air before suddenly, they were falling—hurtling—and disappearing back into the impending cloud as if death itself had swallowed them.

Their Energy Wings had ceased to function.

At least, for the next thirty seconds if Lloyd knew what he was talking about.

Amendments would have to be made for his hesitation, though. Pulling himself up to the keyboard, his fingers glazed over the workstation, reworking the calculations to pinpoint accuracy—as was needed for this particular operation. The slightest mistake could—and most likely would—end up in friendly fire. Not that, Lelouch thought rather wryly, it would be the first time he was turning a Britannian against a fellow Britannian.

"N5," Lelouch said into the mouth piece, "fire Slash Harken at twenty-five degrees right, ten degrees up. R3 and 6, advance thirty degrees Northwest and hold. B1 to 4, charge point one-one-two-five-zero-six with full force."

* * *

><p>The air was heavier than it usually was during a battle. Not only had the Knightmares, Britannian and enemy alike, been robbed of vision, the new and improve Chaffsmoke sent all their sensors into a fritz. Pass communication, all detection systems were down, including the IFF and target lock-on. Most likely, the alarm for an incoming attack wouldn't sound for anything further than a ten feet radius of every Knightmare. None of these facts were comforting and set even the most seasoned of them on edge.<p>

Never before had they been this handicapped in a fight, even if the enemy was facing the same problems.

Guilford snapped to attention the moment his code name was called out. In all honesty, he had his doubts. In all his years serving under the Britannian flag, he had never heard of the White Prince assigning code names. However, it was undoubtedly Schneizel's voice coming through his intercom. It took the seasoned soldier a fraction of a second to realize that he was being given a real time order but even as he immediately set to on the controls, one line stood out in vivid red and bolded in his mind: there was _nothing_ at point 112506. Nothing but black smoke, of course, but he could very much say the same thing for all three hundred and sixty around. If the Glaston Knights did that, they would run _each other_ through.

"But Sir Guilford," a Glaston Knight who had been labeled B3 said from a small screen, "there's…"

"We can't," protested Sir Ernest, designated B4, his tone a notch higher than average.

"Your Prince has given you an order," Guilford said sternly, ignoring his own nerves that were acting up and brandished his lance. "Serve your country."

That seemed to snap the two knights back to reality. "Yes, my Lord," they chanted slightly out of sync after a grim pause but with no less resolution.

Guilford told himself two things: he was a soldier (though admittedly more elevated in rank in the recent years) who never went against orders and that he certainly wasn't going to start now. With almost nigh hesitation, he twisted his Bedivere around, held his weapon firm and moved in for the invisible kill.

_There isn't anything there. There isn't anything there._

No matter how much Guilford attempted to silence his own logic, the fact would not leave his mind. He felt his heart beat quicken; blood pounded in his ears and it grew hotter and damper in his cockpit. Had it been Cornelia giving the order, Guilford would never have doubted but since it wasn't…

He closed in on the designated point, knowing full well that the other three knights were doing the same and…

_**CRASH! **_

Out from above, a red Knightmare, obviously not of their own forces, crashed in the middle of the four pointed lances. It didn't even have the time to regain its bearings before Guilford and three other Glaston Knights pierced it through the cockpit. Likely as shocked at the pilot who was just stabbed, Guilford had his Knightmare pull back instantly, the heavy machine revving its wheels before accelerating backwards. He and the others knew full well what proceeded after such an attack, it being one of their signatures as Glaston Knights.

BOOM!

The red Knightmare was consumed in a fury of fire, crippling to the ground.

Without warning, another explosion followed immediately after but from the opposite side, shaking the ground beneath. Then another to his right. Two more sounded from somewhere further in the battlefield.

Guilford's eyes slowly widened in disbelief as he came to gradual realization what Schneizel was doing: maneuvering soldiers to fight while the prince alone served as the eyes of everyone on the battlefield.

It was a game of chess.

This was bringing the game of trust to a whole new level.

All of a sudden, a shrill alarm sounded in his cockpit, his Knightmare's sensors shouting at him to look out for an attack from behind. Guilford swiveled his machine around but from the corner of his eye, he could already see a half executed punch from a silver Knightmare, aiming directly for his camera. Gritting his teeth, he retreated his Knightmare, forcing it backwards but even then, the knight knew he wasn't going to make it out of range fast enough.

Then a green light flashed in between himself and the silver Knightmare, hitting the latter squarely on the arm. The force of the close explosion sent Guilford flying backwards a few feet before skidding to a stop, just in time to see the Devon swinging a MVS at the hostile in a wide red arc. The sword swung through empty air as Guilford watched the enemy Knightmare perform a dodge that wasn't quite human. The silver machine reared up at, fluidly snatching a knife from its side and dove at the Devon's exposed back.

Somehow matching in speed, Devon flipped around and parried the blow, stopping the blade from breaching its metallic frame by mere inches. The two metalloid figures struggled but then, slowly but surely, the Devon dominated the battle of brute strength. That was… until the chest piece of the silver Knightmare moved away to reveal an in-built cannon. Its core sparked to life in a blazing hue of red and yellow and suddenly, Guilford reacted with the only thing he could do: he drew back one robotic hand and flung his jousting lance at the Knightmare. The spear flew true and impaled the robot through the middle. Needing no prompting, the Devon pushed back one last time, freed himself and escaped, running towards the Glaston Knight's position. The silver Knightmare exploded, violently thrusting a circle of smoke away from it.

Gilbert Guilford was not a man who made a habit of delaying to pay debts.

Suddenly, a familiar green light rushed over his shoulder, sending a Knightmare behind Bedivere staggering backwards from a gaping hole in its upper torso. The pilot ejected before his model too, burst into flames. Devon held a smoking barrel in one hand, poised directly at him.

Guilford leveled his gaze with the latest Britannian model.

How… was it possible that Devon could see something at that distance?

* * *

><p>"We're short on time, Suzaku," Lelouch's voice perforated through the Japanese's earpiece.<p>

That was something Suzaku was well aware off. How could he forget when one corner of his screen had been dedicated to a running timer in bright green numbers? His eyes flickered down to the digits—ten seconds and counting.

"How many are they left?"

"Two," came the reply. "The closest one is three hundred and fifty-six meters southwest of your position."

"I'm on it."

Suzaku covered that distance just short of three seconds. His camera zeroed in on the oddly red highlighted shape and charged forward. He was a good thirty meters away, meaning the enemy unit wouldn't even notice Suzaku as he—

The Knightmare flung around and before the scene could register, the flash of green had already left the enemy unit's barrel. Suzaku retracted as the fire hit his only rifle. Somehow, he managed to let go of the weapon before it exploded, saving Devon's hand but the close range blast violently shook his machine. Instinct told him to duck even though his camera couldn't focus, spreading out in grey, blue and red smudges. He couldn't explain how, but he knew that a knife had just sped past the space where Devon's head used to be. Almost blindly, his arm shot out and grabbed the enemy Knightmare's wrist, seizing it in a vice grip. Jerking it outwards, Devon lashed out with a kick towards the other's midriff. His opponent's arm gave little resistance before coming off entirely.

In that moment, his camera came back online and he wasted no time locating his target lying on the ground not far away. Devon closed the gap, grinding the enemy's remaining arm into the dirt with one foot before brandishing his last short blade.

Suddenly, the alarms of his cockpit flashed to life. Suzaku turned around just in time to see another model diving recklessly at him. The collision sent both Knightmares flying and crashing into the hard rocks. The soldier's stomach flipped once over as he tried to locate a potential weapon—a knife, a gun… anything!

He spotted none and realized the enemy's objective too late.

Suzaku could do naught but brace himself when the enemy unit self-destructed.

The impending heat never reached his sensors but the impact had left his head ringing with a splitting headache. Suzaku shook his head, attempting to physically shake the pain away. Unfortunately, it did nothing but intensify the pain but even then, his vision was unnaturally clear as his green eyes watched the last second on his timer dwindle away into nothing.

Yellow wings flashed to life as the one-armed Knightmare shot upwards and disappeared into the sky.

"Lelouch—"

"It's fine."

Not for the first time, Lelouch's words made no sense to the former-eleven. However, before he could string together a question, the Britannian elaborated.

"I'm told that the Knight of Two's aim is quiet reliable."

Equipped with the only anti-Chaffsmoke camera on field, Suzaku watched as the fleeing Knightmare was shot down by a blast of crimson energy. Wings effectively 'clipped', gravity pulled the machine back down in a spiraling trail of grey smoke.

"All units activate V.F. systems," what appeared to be Schneizel's voice said.

Before long, the black clouds that enshrouded the vast battlefield dispersed to reveal a total of twenty or so remaining enemy units plus one handicapped leader—all of which stood helplessly surrounded by ten times that number of armed Britannian forces.

As Suzaku commanded Devon gingerly onto its feet, Cornelia's Evienne skidded into view, standing tall at the helm of the Britannian Army. "Surrender!" her loud speakers boomed. "Discard your weapons and we will spare your lives."

For a moment, there was no response. All eyes were on the one-armed Knightmare, its frame badly beaten up and Energy Wings still smoking from where it had been shot. Surely, they wouldn't choose to continue. That was what Suzaku thought. It would be a vain massacre to resist now that they were entirely surrounded. He knew that, and he was fairly certain that the enemy's leader knew it as well. They _had_ to—

BOOM!

The one-armed Knightmare burst into flames, exploding from the inside. Before anyone could react, the leader's suicide seemed to start off a chain reaction as one by one, the remnants of the attackers self-destructed.

Killing oneself instead of allowing oneself to be caught.

A grim line was set on Suzaku's lips as he, rather melancholically, did not find the scene altogether unfamiliar.

* * *

><p>Suzaku's feelings were shared.<p>

"Cornelia, you may take it from here," Lelouch said, abandoning the open channel he used while he was masquerading after his brother.

"Lelouch, wait. Wher—"

Not bothering to hear the rest, he turned off Devon's radio. Seconds stretched out in the cockpit when neither he nor Jeremiah spoke. He had—almost—forgotten this feeling: being the reason of death for a multitude of soldiers. His logical side knew, of course, it was better the lives of invaders than Nunnally's Britannians though it wasn't like they had been spared from losses as well. Some would consider death to be death, no matter who they swore their allegiances to.

Distantly, something Schneizel said concerning soldiers and murderers echoed in his mind.

He shook his head inwardly. Philosophies weren't things he wanted to contemplate about for the moment. More than the meaning behind a question he probably would never gain a clear answer to, he would likely have better luck deciding a more relevant item: what was he going to do now?

That was simple. He was to disappear, right?

Now, no one was around to stop him—save Jeremiah, of course, but as much as Lelouch recognized the knight's skills, he was confident that he could outsmart the former-Purist if the need arose. Schneizel wasn't around to talk him out of taking his own life. It would take Cornelia too long to locate him to stop him by force. And Ash… Lelouch's lips thinned slightly. Neither Ash nor Kallen were around to install a guilty sense of responsibility in him. He had fulfilled what he promised the boy. Britannia had won the fight and Kallen would return safely. All it took now was a single moment's worth of courage to take his life.

Or a single moment of cowardice… whichever way one chose to interpret the situation.

"Jeremiah," Lelouch said finally, breaking the silence. Out from the corner of his eye, he could see the knight standing, awkward and stiff (from both the lack of room and sound, Lelouch would wager), in his uniform. Despite himself, one corner of his mouth curled upwards. It wasn't a smile, but it was something. "How many times have you worn that uniform because of me?"

The question must not have registered properly because Jeremiah blinked once and twice before he displayed his own wry smile. "Twice, I believe, my lord."

Lelouch's almost-smile widened a little at the frank and truthful reply. "I see," he said, turning his head erect. "I didn't expect you to remain in the army. Even had Schneizel found out the truth, I didn't think you would be accepted back into the military ranks." As a poor attempt at a jest, he added, "Couldn't manage to seize any promotions in the last seven years?"

The knight cleared his throat uncomfortably before weighing his words. "It's slightly challenging to be part of any noteworthy achievement when my duties are confined to the research facilities."

Research facilities? So he was only a test pilot for Britannia now. Lelouch knew that skilled knights would occasionally volunteer to help the Knightmare Development Team test their new models but never were they confined strictly for those purposes alone. Then it dawned onto Lelouch. There were worse things than being discharged in disgrace for soldiers, and that was keeping them without any hope of letting them advance beyond the lowest rank. Authority was everything in the army and for a man like Jeremiah who had tasted the seat of power more than once, to forever strip him of power would be the ultimate punishment. An ace doomed to be nothing but a lowly test polit. What could be worse for a soldier of pride than humiliation?

"You could have left," Lelouch remarked just a little darkly.

"I would never discard my duties while my emperor lived."

At that, Lelouch could only raise a brow.

"It wasn't by coincidence that you ran into me when you exited the escape tunnel, my lord," Jeremiah elaborated as if that statement explained all. "A tunnel that leads directly into the castle and is connected to the chamber where Empress Nunnually, Prince Schneizel and Princess Cornelia hid you… An entrance like that could never be left unguarded, but at the same time, if guards were posted there…" Jeremiah left the sentence hanging.

Then it all made sense. If guards were posted there deliberately, people would start to notice and ask questions. That would have endangered the secrecy of the escape way. There would also be an issue of if the guards selected could be trusted. However, if one were to put—say—a test pilot in that general region on the claims that he was testing new equipment… No one would think it strange and best of all, Jeremiah already knew of Lelouch. He was also a man trusted by the Royal Family and had time and time again proven himself an able and skilled military officer. He was, in the plainest term, perfect for the role.

"Jeremiah," Lelouch started again, somewhat tentatively. His fingers slowly drummed twice against the arm rest before he continued with his piece. "Where do your loyalties lie?"

"My lord?"

Ahh, the way he phrased his question didn't make sense, did it? It was a habit of his to always word things tactfully but there was no way around this one, was there? He'd just have to lay it out with bluntness unbefitting of a monarch (even a former one).

"Do your loyalties lie with Britannia… or myself?"

There. He said it.

Jeremiah didn't answer immediately, and Lelouch didn't expect otherwise. The knight was probably in the least comfortable position at the moment. Once upon a time, those two words would have been synonymous but times had changed; this question bordered on treason.

"Would you, Lord Gottwald," Lelouch pushed before the knight could come up with an answer, "kill me if I ordered you to?"

The expression on the knight's face, though the Black Prince did not see, was very grim indeed. Jeremiah took a deep breath before he answered in the firmest voice. "My loyalties have and will always lie with you, my Lord."

* * *

><p>Kallen was shaking. The moment the battle had ended, she had all but crashed her knightmare into the open and waiting hanger, jumped out of her cockpit and run off without so much as acknowledging the cheers and praises of congratulations on a job well done. When he called her by her old alias, she thought that he was back. She thought that her prayers had been answered and that life was right again. Then, she heard that he had disappeared and Cornelia's tone didn't provide comfort. If there had ever been a time when her emotions and thoughts were in this much chaos, she couldn't remember it. Questions were bursting through her head.<p>

_How did he get out? _

_Why didn't he run away? _

_Why did he help? _

_What did this mean? _

_Was he coming back?_

Kallen hitched a breath when that question stabbed her like a hot knife in the stomach. Such a reality of Lelouch leaving and disappearing was all too probable in her mind. She had seen the way he was when he woke up. Lelouch wanted nothing more than to die and this time, Kallen couldn't be so sure that he wouldn't succeed in his attempt. With no one there to stop him… With no one knowing where he was…

He could even already be…

Fear seized her heart; tears, unbidden and hot, stung her eyes.

She would not cry. She would definitely not cry but if only she could just _will _him to her side, back into her life with Ash…

And then, her body stopped moving on its own, as if it had reacted by itself to the new presence before its owner even realized. In the low light, through her watered vision, across the final stretch of hallway that led to hidden chamber below Pendragon stood a single solitary figure.

He was tall, thin, black-haired and standing perfectly still where he was.

For that moment, it was as though the slightest movement either of them made would have caused the scene to ripple and disappear. In that moment, all her questions vanished and her feelings were replaced with a cold numbness.

"Lelouch?" The voice who spoke was her own but she couldn't recall speaking.

Thank god, the scene didn't ripple. This meant that this was real. It was really Lelouch vi Britannia standing just a few meters away.

_He came back._

Lelouch dipped his chin a fraction when she called out but didn't answer. Instead, he took a step forward, followed by another, and another until he came to stand before her. He met her, unfazed, eye to eye. She couldn't imagine how her eyes looked but for Lelouch, his were quiet. They were both focused and distant, glazed over with an alien sort of serenity. They were unmistakably stoic. Kallen opened her mouth again to say something, _anything_, but not for the first time, Lelouch was one step ahead of her.

"One month," the Britannian monarch announced, "nothing more."

And there really was nothing more as he turned from her and walked down the right corridor to where his room was.

Alone as she stood at the intersection of the T-junction, Kallen couldn't help but be vividly aware that Lelouch didn't end his sentence with the words: Nothing less.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

I can really only say I'm horribly sorry, especially to theAsh0, for the late update. School has been very evil. Very. The slightly better news is that I've hit my semester break, meaning I'm off school till February. So you can expect more chapters to be out before then.

Also, just want to make a notice here that from now on, the progress of my upcoming chapters will be updated (at least) weekly on my profile page so if you guys get impatient, you guys know where to stalk.

I am never, ever, going to write a full scale battle of knightmares ever again O.O… I think I'm slightly traumatized by the notion now lol. So yea, apologies for the lengthy (and possibly boring?) scenes in this chapter. I now realize my writing preferences lay elsewhere… in a very far elsewhere.

As usual, thanks, you guys, so much for reviewing, adding SecondGen to your list and following. Please do drop me another review!

Until inspiration visits me again,

Could be more Original.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Code Geass obviously isn't mine. How can you be sure? If it was, the ending would have been different. T.T

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 9<em>

Lelouch wondered if he would live to regret this decision. It was highly likely that he would, he decided. However, seeing as he would be dead in a month's time, facing ghosts and demons of the past for another thirty days shouldn't be too difficult a task for the Demon Emperor. Honestly though, he wondered just who would experience more pain: him or those who had brought him back. The image of Kallen's face appeared in his mind. Her face when he had first woken up, the face she wore when she slapped him and the tearful look she had when she confronted him outside moments ago.

That wasn't even a question, was it? Sometimes, he wondered if people ever thought things through.

It was, it seemed, the innate nature of human beings to be masochists.

He had enough time in Devon to recover from all the running but as the adrenaline in his system slowly ebbed away, he was beginning to notice the other consequences of his rashness, particularly in his joints and muscles. He was a fool to think he could get away with such vigorous activities without reprimands from his own body. His body had, after all, been immobile for seven years. Come to think of it, it was amazing he could stand up at all considering the amount of muscular deterioration that must have taken place. Could this be one of the products of medical advancement during the past seven years he was in a coma?

From where he was approaching his chambers, he could see his door. It was left ajar, not unlike how he left it. Without much of a second thought, he stepped back into his prison cell.

"You came back after all," was the line that greeted him.

Ahh, there he was: Lelouch's personal reaper. Lelouch had almost forgotten that he had invited the knight here himself.

Gino, like Kallen, still wore his piloting uniform. He stood well within the room to the left. From the way he slouched against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest, it looked as though he had been there waiting for a while.

Lelouch didn't reply immediately. Instead, he scanned the room, finding it entirely void of six-year-old midgets. It had gone according to plan then. "So I did," Lelouch said.

"I sent them back to their rooms," Gino stated, standing up straight. He kept his tone even, as expected of the son of a nobleman, but Lelouch could still sense the underlying hostility he had for him.

Which was also according to plan. It would prove troublesome to replace a reaper, after all.

"You have my thanks," Lelouch nodded as he crossed the room towards the infirmary capsule, taking a seat down on the bedding and effectively relieving his knees from the burden of his body weight. Absentmindedly, he rubbed the sore joint as he continued, "And the report?"

He more of felt the indignance than saw it. Lelouch could only imagine how distasteful the knight found the idea of following Lelouch's orders. The former Knight of Three had been one of the "rogue" Knight of Rounds who rebelled against Lelouch's forced reign. Setting intelligence aside (he couldn't call anyone who was loyal to Charles zi Britannia smart), there was no question of the man's patriotism. The only time Gino allied himself with the Black Knights was after Lelouch had been outcast. Indeed, looking at the pattern present, it seemed as if the name of the team didn't matter. Tristan would fight for whichever side was against Lelouch.

Could Lelouch have picked a better reaper?

Reluctantly, Gino started, "It's too soon to tell but as far as the main forces are concerned, everyone doesn't doubt that it was Schneziel giving orders. I wouldn't be so sure with the ones who were in command, particularly the twenty-nine you singled out. They don't have reason to believe otherwise but they've had too much experience fighting under Schneziel's command to not find the way you gave out orders strange. Schneziel is far more pre-emptive, this was too real-time. It's likely that this will blow over using Schneziel's ingenuity as the foundation though."

Having been eliminated from the battle early, it meant that Gino had to return to base. However, instead of having him launch in Tristan's spare model, Lelouch had used this extra pair of eyes for slightly different work: observation.

"Pre-emptive?" Lelouch exhaled lightly, slightly amused that Gino would see the need to share that bit of information. "I'll keep that in mind." He doubted he would be hijacking his brother's line anytime soon though. Lelouch gave up on rubbing the sore away, making a mental note to ask Lloyd or Cecile about it later. Looking at the knight, he added, "In any case, I'm no longer in command but I suggest monitoring the mental state of the garrison for the next few days while shamelessly singing Schneziel's praises." It wasn't that he was particularly concerned with the aftermath but he supposed it was a habit akin to putting things back where he found them. He had been the nosy third party who insisted to be included in the game so the least he could do was take measures to make sure his influence didn't produce lasting effects.

"Earl Asplund is already on it," Gino informed.

"And Devon?"

Gino narrowed his eyes. "It didn't sustain critical damages or errors while in battle." He paused. "I didn't realize that Jeremiah was that skilful a pilot."

"Hm," Lelouched hummed, neither confirming nor elaborating. He expected this reaction, he supposed. He knew there were risks involved when using Suzaku as a part in his plan. Just like Lelouch had a peculiar style when orchestrating a battle, Suzaku had a signature way of piloting. Undoubtedly, as comrades in the Knight of Rounds, Gino would have had many opportunities to fight alongside the White Knight. However, since Tristan wasn't directly involved in the battle, Lelouch had gambled on it as an affordable risk. Changing the subject, though, would be a better course of action right now. "I, on the other hand, always realized you were an exceptional sniper. Long range sniping model: GT-002X, code name: Gae Dearg. According to Lloyd, it has a complex system that rivals the Energy Wings but you were able to pull through regardless."

"What were you thinking?" Gino shot darkly, "Dearg is still in its experimental stages, more so than the Devon, not to mention it hadn't even been calibrated. The target was more than fifty kilometres away. What would you have done if I missed?"

"There was time allowance for two shots," Lelouch dismissed. "The first was meant for calibration but apparently, it wasn't necessary."

Gino continued to stare at the former emperor, obviously knowing this conversation was going nowhere. "Everything you're involved in is full of lies," the knight accused level-headedly, "even this. You knew it would be too early to determine anything concrete to report regarding suspicion of the soldiers. Did you just call me down here to send Ash and his friends back upstairs?"

In truth? Yes.

There were probably many others he could have asked to do that but when it came to matters involving Ash, there was likely no one as trustworthy as Gino Weinberg. And likely, he would be the most lenient in letting the kids go and keeping their being down here a secret.

"A bit of advice, Sir Weinberg," Lelouch said, rather humourlessly. "It's never too early to check on the mental status of your soldiers."

_I know I would have benefitted from such advice._

He knew the Black Knights were always wary of him but to think they thought he committed massacres.

He was a poorer leader than he thought.

He felt light-headed.

For a moment, his head swam but as quickly as it came, it disappeared.

"Did you say something strange to Ash?" Gino suddenly said.

Lelouch placed his thumb and middle finger on his temples, applying slight pressure to encourage focus to come back. He barely heard the question that was posted to him. "I don't follow," he replied. He said plenty of things to the boy, likely more than he should have, but he didn't think any of it could be classified as "strange".

"Nevermind," the knight said before walking towards the door. "I'll let everyone know you're back so do everyone a favour and refrain from doing anything reckless." With that, he left, the door closing and locking shut once more.

Lelouch lay down on the bedding. He was tired, both physically and mentally. This wasn't good. He couldn't afford time to rest. He needed to begin preparations to set the stage before Schneizel made his move. However, no matter how much he fought to stay awake, the familiar darkness crept in closer and closer until finally, he was swallowed whole.

Not this again.

* * *

><p>The word "furious" did not even begin to describe the ill bubbling feeling that boiled in her gut. Why in the world couldn't her contracted be sweet and obedient for once? Damn it all, she really did have an amazing talent for picking her prey.<p>

C.C. hated this. She hated being constricted and contained. The very idea that she was bound by restrictions was an abhorring thought in itself. She hated being confined to this room, being unable to do anything even when her accomplice was in danger. It wasn't like her to care so much about being seen but the situation now was delicate. She couldn't make any careless moves. Contrary to what people thought of her, C.C. was a woman who calculated her risks. In truth, most of the impertinence she displayed seven years ago in Area Eleven was mostly for fun. Immortality was a boring thing. Rattling the overly cool Black Prince was the next best thing to pizza. Unfortunately, she couldn't play the same games this time around. Short of rescuing her accomplice from a direct and impending death, she couldn't risk being discovered.

She had placed too much faith in her abilities to control Ash and his six-year-old emotions. Rather, a more accurate way to phrase things was that she underestimated a son's fear of losing his father. She had to salvage this somehow and hopefully, the damage wouldn't be irreversible.

At that moment, the door opened and by reflex, she moved herself into the shadows. From where she hid, she could barely make out the four people who appeared. "Gino Weinberg…" she muttered to herself as the tall figure ushered a much tinier one.

"Just be patient, kiddo," the blonde knight said, "the battle's over so your mother will be back in no time."

Ash didn't reply as he stepped into his room without a word. He gave no indication whatsoever that he heard what the older man had said.

Confused and at a loss of what to do, Gino frowned. "I'll come back and check on you later, okay?"

Again, no reply.

C.C. was worried this might happen.

Seeing nothing more he could say or do, the knight closed the door. Only when the footsteps died away did C.C. finally step out of her hiding place. During the entire time, the small prince didn't move.

"As I thought," the witch's eyes narrowed. "You used the geass on that man."

Ash didn't say anything but nodded his head after a moment's hesitation.

This wasn't like Lelouch where she could just challenge her accomplice's idiocy head on. This called for a little more tact. Not to mention Ash's mind was probably as fragile as a sheet of thin glass. One wrong move and…

"Miss Witch," Ash suddenly voiced. His eyes were still downcast.

"What is it, boya?" Should she take it as a positive sign that he spoke?

Ash lifted his right hand and placed the tips of his fingers on the fabric of his chest. "This hurt," he grabbed a fistful of his shirt and ground out through clenched teeth and a tight throat, "is dying the only way to get rid of it?"

Definitely not a positive sign.

C.C. frowned. She would not lose. Not here. Ash had one advantage that Lelouch didn't and doesn't till today.

It was in that Ash hadn't the time to build an iron wall around him to isolate himself yet.

C.C. encircled her arms around the now shaking boy and carried him to his bed. Sitting down beside him, she continued to embrace him. "I won't let go of you," C.C. whispered, resting her head on his and stroking his hair. "Down this path to save your father, you'll lose your way and fall but that's okay because I will always be there to find you and bring you back. I will _never _let you go, Ash. That is our contract."

In spite of herself, C.C. started humming. It was a long forgotten tune from a part of her memory she did not care to entertain until now. It was several minutes later before the trembling subsided. It was only a while later did she realize the boy had fallen asleep. Noticing that, she lay him down on the soft linen.

He was a sight worthy of pity. Even as he slept, a furrow creased his brow and tear streaks stained his cheeks. "Britannian princes don't cry," C.C. muttered to no one in particular as she touched the boy's face. Gently, she wiped away the wetness off his cheeks with her thumb. "Is that what you were told?"

"You don't realize it, do you, little prince," the witch continued, brushing locks of hair away from his eyes. "You have a power more capable of pain and suffering than what the Demon Emperor had."

* * *

><p>"Would someone please explain to me what <em>exactly<em> happened today?"

The whole room seemed to shy away from the Witch of Britannia as she posted forth that question. Present in the room were the usual suspects. Lloyd was brimming with a wide smile, perhaps the only one entirely obviously to the menacing aura the princess seethed with, as he sat at one end of the long marble table next to his long-time assistant Cecile who looked intimidated enough for the pair of them. Jeremiah was in the next seat, carefully avoiding eye-contact with Cornelia as he seemed convinced that doing otherwise would result in an instantaneous death. Despite being seasoned knights themselves, Kallen, Gino and Guilford were in no better shape.

"Calm down, Cornelia," Schneizel spoke from the display that hung on the wall, a weak smile curling his lips. "What matters is that everyone is safe and everything turned out well. We could hardly seek a better outcome than this." His eyes shifted to Lloyd. "Lelouch _is_ well, I hope."

Lloyd coughed instinctively, not expecting he'd be singled out so early in the meeting. "Yes, uh, His Majesty's condition was steadily improving prior to the attack. However…"

"However?"

"He seems to have relapsed back into unconsciousness for the moment."

The whole room spoke up at the same time. "Again?" "How many times has it been with this?" "Why weren't we informed of this earlier?" However, it was the Knight of Two who spoke above the buzz of noise.

"Unconscious?" Gino frowned. "I was just with him a while ago. He was fine then." Noticing the confused stares he was receiving, he elaborated, "It was the last task I was assigned during the battle. He wanted a report on how convincing his masquerade was to the soldiers."

"It seems then that he lost consciousness after your meeting," Lloyd said. Directing the next lines to Schneizel, he added, "His vital signs are strong and stable. We'll keep him under close moderation for now but it's likely that this is just an after effect from the onerous demands he was making of his body. He should come out of it within the next twenty-four hours at the latest."

Schneizel nodded. "Keep me informed if anything changes."

"Of course, Your Highness," the scientist complied with a nod of his head.

"If he wasn't capable, he shouldn't' have come onto the battlefield," Cornelia scowled. "How did he get out of the room?"

Lloyd smiled and, with the skills of a veteran fabricator, replied, "I have no idea, Your Highness." That response, however, didn't satisfy Cornelia in the least bit.

"Lloyd," the princess growled warningly.

The scientist in question let out a nervous chuckle. "Honestly, Your Highness, I am as stumped as you are. I may have had something to do with giving His Majesty a puzzle piece or two but as to how he was able to collect the remaining pieces to finish the puzzle, I must say that I am _delightfully_ dumbfounded."

"Hold on a moment, aren't you sounding a bit too happy that someone got past your security?" Gino asked, amused more than anything.

"There is nothing wrong with the celebration of intelligence, Sir Weinberg."

"On a more serious note," Cecile interrupted with a small cough and a disapproving look aimed at her superior, "the system logged in Her Majesty Nunnally around that designated time frame. However, during that time, we've confirmed that Her Majesty was in a video conference with the Prime Minister of Australia."

"In other words," Schneizel said, "only Lelouch knows how he managed to overcome the security."

"We have no cameras in Sector Eleven so it can't be helped," Lloyd mused, slouching further down in his chair before a thought struck him, causing his to straighten again, "also, while we're on the subject of Sector Eleven, concerning the security breach that occurred sometime during the battle."

"There was a security breach in Sector Eleven?" Kallen who hadn't said anything prior to this blinked. Gino and Jeremiah seemed equally in the dark. It couldn't be helped as the knights weren't up to speed with the internal affairs yet.

"The one I sent you to confirm," Cornelia clarified. "Was that Lelouch's doing?"

"I highly doubt His Majesty was the cause," Lloyd answered. "As my team reported to Your Highness, there were no intruders sighted, and that remains true. We therefore wrote it off as the enemy attempting to hack into our systems to distract us. However, Cecile here has another theory that, I must say, is worth considering."

"It's just that I find it unsettling, Your Highnesses," Cecile said. "The enemy gained nothing by triggering the alarm in Sector Eleven. If my purpose was to distract my opponent with such a method, I would one of two things. I would either cause simultaneous alarms in multiple locations to create confusion or target a place of high importance to induce panic. Neither of these occurred. The alarm was an isolated event and in the official blueprints of the building that are classified in and of itself, Sector Eleven is written off as a storage section."

Schneizel was silent a moment before he looked at Cornelia who returned his gaze with a nod of agreement. "And the alternative is that our opponent knew the significance of Sector Eleven. You pose a valid argument, Miss Croomy," Schneizel stated gravely. "Do you think it was a genuine attempt to get within the palace then?"

"I don't know, Your Highness but I think it would be too soon to discount the possibility. Sir Gottwald, did you see anything out of the ordinary during your patrol today?"

Jeremiah shook his head. "No, my lady," he said, "apart from His Majesty, Devon's surveillance picked up no other heat signatures."

"A possible fault in the system?" Gino offered, "Devon is still experimental."

"Surveillance is the key feature of Devon," Lloyd defended his brainchild. "Its sensitivity to its environment is second to none. It is currently the only knightmare model that is impervious to the effects of Chaffsmoke. I admit that most of Devon is experimental at this stage but that aspect alone is flawless, and from the performance Devon displayed on the battlefield today, we can confirm its detection system is functioning properly."

"We'll look into this further," Cornerlia promised.

"Any leads on who the enemy is?" Schneizel asked.

"Well, it is considerably trickier considering all the pilots were charred to a crisp," Lloyd said, "but we should be able to learn something from the autopsy team when we receive their results. We have several teams attempting to salvage the enemy knightmare frames as we speak. Hopefully, we'll find some clues as to who we're up against from there."

"The 'who' pales in comparison to the 'why' in this situation," the White Prince commented, "though those two are hardly ever far from each other. Find one or the other and you'll acquire the answer to both."

"How unusually philosophical of you, Your Highness," Lloyd half teased. "There is some logic behind that though so I shall keep that in mind."

"They must have been a considerable force if they were able to push against you, Cornelia," Schneizel stated.

"Concerning that," Jeremiah spoke, "His Majesty said something strange during the battle." Without waiting to be prodded, he continued, "He observed that the enemy was acting irregularly. His exact words were that it was almost like he was dealing with a different army than the one that Her Highness Cornelia was up against."

"A decreased performance in battle after switching command?" The White Prince went silent once more. "Lelouch was coordinating the battle from outside the palace, am I correct?"

A few of them nodded their heads.

"We might have to consider the possibility of a spy then."

"I'll have HR draw up the profiles of those who were stationed in the command centre," Cornelia said with some distaste. Being a soldier, she had always been someone who valued loyalty above other virtues. The very idea of someone within their ranks committing insubordination was enough to shorten her fuse.

"I'll leave that to your people then, Cornelia," Schneizel agreed. "All things considered, everything turned out for the better. I think we've made significant progress especially where Lelouch is concerned. Did you say something to him, Kallen?"

The red-head shook her head. "I haven't spoken or seen him since that night."

"Well, even though we don't quite know the reason why, Lelouch still chose to come back on his own accord. That buys us time, if nothing else. This shows that his mental condition is becoming more stable." Schneizel displayed something just short of a chuckle of amusement, "you should expect an offer to negotiate from him soon. Knowing him, he would see my being away from Pendragon as an opportunity but I trust that you can handle our dear younger brother, Cornelia."

"As long as he doesn't receive any unexpected reinforcements," Cornelia said, crossing her arms while pointed looking at Lloyd who chose that moment to be _highly_ interested in the grease stain on his palm.

"In the meantime, I don't think Lelouch was wrong," Schneizel mused aloud. "We should closely monitor the hearsay in the barracks for the next few days. I believe this is your department, Sir Weinberg?"

"I thank His Highness for his faith in me but I think it would be better if we split this between the three of us," Gino suggested, directing the latter part of his speech towards Kallen and Guilford. "Individually, we have different influences and access to the various sections of the army. I know for a fact I'm not the most welcomed soul among the ranks of the Glaston Knights."

The both of them nodded in agreement. Cornelia raised a slender brow but chose not to say anything.

"You did cause quite the scene during your last 'social call'," Guilford recalled with a wry grin.

"You Glaston Knights need to lighten up a bit. Being too serious never served anyone. Come to think of it, neither does overly good memory…"

"We humbly accept the Knight of Two's praises."

"I wouldn't call it praise…" Gino muttered almost inaudibly under his breath. Remembering he was in the presence of some of the highest powers in Britannia, he cleared his throat. "I'll send in my report as soon as the excitement dies out, Your Highness."

"Good. Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

"That's all for the moment," Cornelia answered.

"In that case, we'll stop here. I should be returning to the capital soon but until then, I thank you all for your time and effort." And with that, communications were broken. Dismissed, they all set out on their individual tasks.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Yes, I am alive. (Dramatic music) First and foremost, my deepest apologies for the long overdue update and my sincerest thanks to those who waited for it, especially to Jarjaxle and CheapSk33t whose pms were a driving force to push this update. You guys are the best!

From here on out, things get a little bumpier for Lelouch and family so stay tuned.

_Tttt_: Yes, yes, I am Malaysian hehe, but since I'm in Uni now, I have finals twice a year.

_DanaeMariSkywalker:_ That is a good question. I'm leaning towards yes he still has it but depending on how the plot develops, that might change. And thanks! I had a hard time picking out the Knightmare names. D:

_Kalulu:_ Fair warning, I think George Martin is an absolute genius. I think I have a sort of affinity for tragedies lol. Um lemons will likely not be in this story, but perhaps a bit of lime. If lemons were to happen, it'd be a side story. That way, it keeps the rating friendly ;)

As usual, a big thank you to all those who reviewed and all you stalkers! I hope I didn't miss out any of your questions and I hope to hear for you guys again!

Until inspiration visits me again,

Could be more Original.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Code Geass obviously isn't mine. How can you be sure? If it was, the ending would have been different. T.T

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 10<em>

He drank the floral air into his lungs, deep and long. It was the breath of a content man. He could feel the breeze, gentle and soft, brush against his skin while short blades of grass danced with the same draft. They tickled his cheeks as the rays of sunshine warmed him to a comfortable temperature. He missed this feeling. He couldn't remember the last time he had taken time off his duties to just lie on the grass. He shouldn't stay here too long though, least his mother found out. It was highly unlikely her mother would discover him personally but he was sure the servants were already told to keep an eye out for him. God knew he would get such an earful from her when she found out how he had practically _ruined_ his clothes.

He shifted the position of his head, the grass shifting to accommodate him.

Mother?

That was a strangely… _strange_ word.

Now why was that again?

Well, that was simple. It was because she was…

The word escaped him.

"Dead?" offered a male voice that wasn't his.

His eyes shot open and a blue sky yawned open before him. Overhead, just enough to cast a shadow over his eyes, a canopy of leaves formed a dark mosaic against the azure background. _Where am I?_ Those three words resonated in his mind as Lelouch pushed himself upright but nothing quite prepared him for what he saw. There was a sharp intake of breath as he recognized the scene before him. It couldn't be, but there it was right in front of him. When was the last time he had been blessed with the serene and almost magical sight of the gardens of Aries Villa. And it wasn't some poor imitation. Somehow, he knew. He knew for a fact that this was the place he grew up playing in. For a moment, he forgot about the voice.

"Beautiful, is it not?" the same voice said again, not keen on being forgotten. It clearly came from behind the black haired lord.

Turning, a lump jumped up to his throat. He knew that voice.

But it wasn't possible.

Just like it wasn't possible he was sitting under a tree in the aerial gardens of his childhood.

Leaning against the trunk of the same tree, sitting just slightly out of arm's reach, was a golden-haired man staring comfortably lost into the distance. One arm was slack over the knee that was drawn up to his chest while the other rested around his midriff. His frame was small, gangly even, but while he didn't have the domineering air most of his siblings had, he looked nothing short of distinguished as a member of the royal house in his purple and yellow outfit, garnished with an immaculate white cravat. Indeed, there were very few, even within the family, who could pull of regal elegance as well as…

"Clovis," Lelouch let the word slip from his tongue. The lump in his throat grew bigger.

Clovis la Britannia smiled at the sound of his name, and tilted his chin in Lelouch's direction. Blue eyes caught his. "Hello," the deceased Britannian said, "Brother."

Lelouch didn't react immediately. He merely held his brother's gaze as somehow, his mind failed to connect dots again. The last thing he remembered was meeting Gino after the battle at Pendragon. Then… nothing. How did he get here? More importantly, how was all of this happening? Clovis? The Imperial Villa at Aries? Him forgetting his mother was already passed? In what reality did all three of these factors prove true?

"This is a dream," the Black Prince said finally. It wasn't a question so much as a statement that he needed confirmed.

This time, it was Clovis' turn to be silent. He looked meaningful at his younger half-brother, as if he expected Lelouch to continue. The silence stretched with neither Britannian moving. Then, Clovis raised his hands and clapped twice.

"Bravo," he smiled, "though honestly, it wasn't much of a guess, was it, Lelouch?"

It was odd, to say the least. Lelouch hadn't seen Clovis very much ever since his exile from Pendragon. As Lelouch Lamparouge, he had only ever seen an actor reciting dramatic scripts while playing the role of Viceroy of Area Eleven. Gone was image of the persistent cousin who couldn't beat him at chess. The permanent image of Clovis he had now was the man who shook with fear and lied through his teeth as he begged for his life at the end of a loaded barrel. That Clovis compared to the Clovis who was smiling calmly at him now were two very contradicting images.

"No," Lelouch lied in agreement. Honestly, he had been through so much that he was mentally prepared to accept almost any remotely reasonable explanation. Was this what they called lucid dreaming? "Why are you here?"

"Me?" Clovis raised a thin eyebrow. He waved a hand leisurely towards the garden. "I've always been here. No, Lelouch, the real question is: why are _you_ here?"

At this, Lelouch mirrored the look on his half-brother's face. "I didn't choose to come here."

Clovis chuckled. "I wouldn't be so sure, Lelouch." When it was apparent that his half-brother didn't follow, he elaborated, "Well, if this is your dream, then I am nothing more than your subconscious, a fragment of thought given a face and character from the archive of your memories. Indeed, it wouldn't be too wrong to say I'm just a version of you with a slightly different perspective on life. I certainly didn't call for you so it must be vice versa."

That sounded reasonably, Lelouch supposed, if not unnecessarily philosophical and poetic. Clovis had always been that way. Or at least, he used to be that way.

"So, in that sense," Clovis concluded, "what would you seek from Clovis la Britannia?" A hint of smugness highlighted his features, not unlike what Lelouch would expect to see if he had ever the misfortune to request help from his older sibling when they were younger. Why _would_ he ever ask help from Clovis, of all people?

"None of this makes any logical sense," the former prince said, the comment little more than slipped from his lips. It wasn't meant in reply for anything.

"_Again_ with your logic," Clovis sighed melodramatically as he spread his hands sideways, palms up. "In the end, you and Schneizel are the same: always clinging to logic like a floating piece of driftwood from the wreckage of your capsized ship in the middle of the sea." He shook his head disapprovingly. "When will you learn that logic only serves to bring you from one point to another, while ingenuity in itself is limitless?" Then, an expression flashed across the blonde's face, as if a thought struck him. "Unless…"

He fixed Lelouch with a look before one side of his lips curled into a half smile. "Is _that_ why you called for me? Because I'm not as bound to logic as you are."

Lelouch was at a loss of how to respond. 'Clovis' spoke as if Lelouch knew what was going on and it was up to the former third prince to decipher the situation. "This conversation shouldn't even be necessary," he stated flatly.

"Really?" Clovis' tone was openly mocking. "I take it you've figured out why you didn't die that day then?"

Lelouch narrowed his eyes at Clovis. It was one thing to be challenged by his siblings; it was quite another to be chided by his own subconscious. There was no persuading Clovis to drop the subject matter, was there? Now, of all times, the Gods decided to feed him his own medicine and torment him with his own stubbornness. Sighing, he turned his eyes away from the third prince and towards the garden. Grudgingly, he started, "No matter which way I look at it, I don't see a viable solution as to how I didn't die. Without mistake, Suzaku impaled me through the heart. There shouldn't be any ambiguities that would allow me to survive a fatal injury like that."

"Perhaps you're asking the wrong question."

That statement caught the Britannia aristocrat off-guard. Whatever he thought Clovis had to offer to his line of thought, it certainly wasn't that. "What do you mean 'the wrong question'?"

"Instead of asking yourself 'how didn't I die', try 'why didn't I die'."

"That's the same question."

A strangled sort of sound came from behind him before Clovis coughed twice in efforts to redeem himself of the prior un-princely sound he made. "Your lack of appreciation for language dismays me to no end, Brother. No two English words are the same. Turning it around should make it more obvious: why did you survive Zero Requiem?"

Something seemed to click into place in his mind.

"Even your logic agrees so: it was by no human or natural occurrence that you survived. Therefore, there isn't much point trying to fathom the possibilities. It would be as futile as solving an equation with too many unknowns. Instead, why not focus on the reason why you survived?"

"The reason?" the two words rolled off his tongue like an alien thought. How was this question any easier to answer?

"It's not the first time you didn't die when you should have, is it, Lelouch?"

The Black Prince thought. Not the first time? That was true. He was an exiled prince and a political hostage. Every single day he lived was serendipity. He was a usurper, little more than a terrorist in the eyes of the most powerful country in the world. He could name more than a few people who would have given an arm or a leg just to see Zero behind bars… or on the executioner's block. But was there a time when he _should_ have died? A time when he didn't plan on escaping or outsmarting his opponent?

There was.

When he thought Nunnally had died, shortly followed by being betrayed by the Black Knights. He had had enough. He wanted it to end. There wasn't a point to go on anymore and with Schneizel firmly holding him in check, he knew the checkmate was inevitable.

But then Rolo saved him.

That imitation brother, as Schneizel had put it. He who killed Shirley, Lelouch wanted his fate to be the worst imaginable. Sorely played and toyed with until he was no longer useful or amusing. Lelouch had fed him one lie after the other, building him an endless tower of hope for the sole purpose of seeing him fall into the darkest depths of despair. Despite that—despite _all_ of that—Rolo had sacrificed himself to save him.

He should have died that day, not Rolo.

"Fate saved you that day," Clovis said. "It almost laughable, really, the number of occasions you tried to kill him, and each time the opportunity slipped through your fingers. In any case, you realized the reason why you survived relatively quick that time, did you not?"

"To kill Charles zi Britannia; to stop Ragnarok."

"That's right."

A horrible thought struck Lelouch at that moment, one that sent a chill down his spine. "Are you saying someone is attempting Ragnarok again?"

"Don't be inane, Lelouch," Clovis arched a brow, questioning his brother's aptitude. "Being your subconscious, I can _hardly_ know anything more than you. Besides, I doubt anyone would be as…" he paused just the slightest moment as he attempted to locate a more politically accurate phrase, "…immoderate as Father to endeavour something on the scale of Ragnarok. However, you might consider that you've loose ends that need tidying up."

The ends of Lelouch's mouth dipped downwards. He wasn't fond of that phrase: loose ends. It suggested carelessness and lack of foresight. He disliked it even more knowing that towards the very end of his perfect performance, he, Lelouch vi Britannia, ninety-ninth emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, screwed up—immensely.

"Ash."

Clovis hid behind one hand as silent laughter shook his shoulders. "Well, there's no denying that Ash certainly is one of them. But what was the purpose of Zero Requiem, Lelouch?"

He knew he should have been insulted by that moniker, but instead thought it rather apt. Lelouch's frown deepened, unsure what Clovis wanted to hear. "For peace."

"Now who's making himself sound like a martyr?" Clovis asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You and I both know that you're not an advocate of peace, Demon Emperor Lelouch. No, I know you better than that. Your motive was more selfish than simple world peace or unity, so much so that you didn't mind using the Geass to order thousands of men to die for you—for your cause."

_To atone_, Lelouch thought, almost saying it aloud. But no, that wasn't the reason; it was the consequence.

Who was he kidding? His goal? It had, is and always will be…

"For Nunnally's sake," he affirmed, his chin dipping slightly as his fingers laced together. "For the world she and Euphemia would have wanted."

"Exactly," Clovis acceded. "You did what you thought would have made them happy, even if you didn't know that Nunnally was alive at the time. That was primarily why Sir Kururugi helped you as well. That, and his ache for vengeance in his own twisted sense of justice, of course."

"And what of it?" Lelouch retorted. Again, dead or alive, his brothers seemed to have an annoying habit of bringing up the past.

There was a slow rustle of clothes against grass before the footsteps that sounded evenly until the third prince came to stand beside him. "But I don't think they are, Lelouch."

"What?"

"Happy," the third prince clarified, "I don't think they're very happy at all.

* * *

><p>He should disappear.<p>

He wasn't wanted, needed or loved, and he didn't want to be either. He didn't deserve to be. The world would be better off without him. It would have been so much better had he never been born. For everyone's sake, it would have been better if he just left.

He should just disappear.

Ash woke up to the feeling of wetness clinging to his lashes. Blinking his eyes open, he knew he should have been horrified that he was acting disgraceful again but he wasn't. He was too tired to get angry at himself. He was met with blackness before the room slowly melted into focus. Ah, he knew this place. He recognized the familiar setting of his room. It was dark, but the youth knew that this was no pretext to think it was night.

Ash turned to his side and true to his suspicions, the heavy curtains were drawn. He vaguely wondered how long he had been asleep, not quite recalling the 'falling asleep' bit either. He closed his eyes. The feeling from before hadn't left him in the slightest. Sick. He felt sick; an ill and oozy feeling filled the pit of his stomach and smothered his chest, making it hard to breathe. Memories from then flashed through his mind. At the image of his father leaving and disappearing out the door, he all but forgot the warning that Miss Witch had given him. He felt a surge of energy flying away from him, leaving his body as the power sought out its target. Then, the moment it did…

Colour drained from Ash's face again icy fear seized him. What he was afraid of, he didn't know and it didn't matter. All he wanted to do was run, disappear from the faceless danger. At the same time, he knew the danger would always be there. He knew there was no way to hide from it. He knew that running was useless and the only way out was…

He turned his face, burying it into the soft linen of his feather pillow. He could hide this way, right? If he stayed like this, he might just avoid whatever was chasing after him. For some reason, his body was heavy. That didn't matter though. He wasn't very much interested in getting up from where he lay anyway.

"Ash, we need to talk," the witch's silky voice carried from somewhere within the darkness.

"Now?" All he wanted to do now was to curl up and go back to peaceful sleep.

"Yes, _now_."

There was a chilling sternness in her low and even voice that reminded him of… No, when his mother was upset with him, her voice was different. It was angrier and, if it made any sense, hotter. This was the exact opposite. It was colder, but it didn't fill himself with any less dread than his mom. But of course, this dread was a warning that he had done something wrong. Biting his bottom lip, Ash peeled himself off the soft mattress to sit himself upright, spying Miss Witch who was already walking towards him. In the darkness, her white clothes were near black but her eyes still shone bright and clear. Without a word, she sat down beside him, causing his sense of balance to tip when the mattress sank down with her light weight.

"I think it's time you fully understood what kind of power you have."

Ash looked down, unconsciously scrunching up the fabric of his pants at the knees. Amidst the sickness he was feeling, a small fraction spurred a new sensation: guilt. He should… apologize for not listening to Miss Witch's advice, shouldn't he?

"Now do you know why I told you that you can't use your power on your father yet?" Miss Witch asked, intruding his thoughts.

He looked up at her, not entirely sure what to say. Ash thought it best to just stick with what he was going to. "I'm sorry," he apologized in a small voice.

"Hm," the witch hummed. "I dearly hope so. The Geass is not a forgiving power."

"Geass?" Ash's tongue played with the new word much like how one tried on a new set of clothes. And like every set of new clothes, he didn't think it fit him very well.

"The Geass is the Power of Kings, a power to help you achieve what you otherwise could not with our own power. It's a power that will grant both our wishes. While this power is not of this world, the nature of its power is a reflection of your own."

"I don't really understand."

The witch tilted her head a fraction to the side, her golden eyes never leaving him. There was a strange haunting that came from those eyes in the dark and dim room. "Then what do you understand, little prince?"

Ash immediately identified that question as a test. It was a test he didn't quite know how to pass. He bit his lower lip and chewed. He sort of knew what his powers were but to put them into actual words was a formidable challenge. In a way, he knew that when he used his power, he could feel what the other person was feeling, but that wasn't all. It went a little beyond that. The young prince decided to just string together words that… _felt_ right.

"I…" he started uncertainly, "connect hearts."

It seemed to take a few seconds before the witch fully took in his words. Then, she chuckled. And then, she laughed. It was a silvery sort of sound resembling bells at Christmas.

"That is a rather accurate description," she agreed.

"I connected with Father's heart." This was just confirmation for assurance.

The witch nodded, and Ash's heart dropped like a stone. "He's in a lot of pain," he whispered quietly. He wrung his small fingers.

"He is." The witch did not sound surprised. "A pain that you don't understand will hurt you, more so than it did your father. That's why you cannot use your power on him yet. Not until you are much stronger. But when you do, that's when you'll have a chance to save him."

Ash didn't understand what she meant. Was it just that he was tired? Or was it that Miss Witch was starting to talk about more and more complicated things? Tentatively, unsure of whether or not asking would be a good idea, Ash ventured, "Do you understand?" It made sense in Ash's mind. If he didn't know or understand something, all he had to do was find out. Miss Witch sounded like someone who was very smart, just like Uncle Scheneizel. If she understood, maybe she could try explaining to him and maybe… just maybe...

He was regarded carefully by those golden eyes again.

"I doubt anyone would be able to understand the depths of that man's pain," she said finally. "Which is why I gave you the Geass."

Despite himself, Ash's enthusiasm dampened. It seemed like this was going to be a complicated and long road to walk. Did his father feel that way all the time? Was he hurting ever since waking up? Even before then? Was he ever going to stop hurting? If not, then…

Then, wouldn't it be better to go back to sleep? Back to where the pain couldn't follow?

Ash vi Britannia felt sick.

* * *

><p>That statement burned Lelouch like a white, hot brand through the heart.<p>

"You can't contradict me, can you, Lelouch?" Clovis chose words that bordered on a challenge but kept his told mild. "Do not mistake me; I'm not saying that you've done poorly. You died leaving the world a better place than the one you were born into, but what of _your_ world? What of the people whose names you _do_ know." Lelouch didn't—couldn't—look up at Clovis as he counted the names off one by one. "Nunnally, who holds your heart, lost her only brother and dearest friend. Did you honestly think that she would care for peace if it came at the cost of her brother's life? At the cost of Sir Kururugi's? You say that you left her that Eleven to take care of her but in the end, he was doomed to live a life away from her from the moment he accepted Zero's mask. Did you really not foresee that?"

"Then there's Sir Kururugi himself. He was your closest friend, if I'm not mistaken. What did you leave him, Lelouch?" He didn't let Lelouch think on the question too long before he answered himself, "The satisfaction of revenge for Euphemia unjust murder… or the blood of his best friend on his hands?"

"Need I go into what you've done for Kallen Kozuki? Or rather, Kallen Stadtfeld, as she would have to go by, being the mother of the heir of Britannia."

Stadtfeld? Lelouch hadn't thought of it before this but Kallen was now Britannian down to the very last letter. Being married to him… being Ash's mother… being the Knight of One, no less… His brow creased again as memories of his rebellion flooded his mind. He remembered how she _loathed_ the Stadtfeld name. It was a well-known fact that the ace of the Black Knights rejected every single Britannian cell in her body, even if it came at the cost of comfort and wealth. She was luckier than most Eleven children but she threw everything away for her Japanese name. She was a person whose pride as a Japanese ran stronger than anyone Lelouch had ever met.

That person gave embraced the Stadtfeld name for him.

She did it for Ash.

No, Clovis didn't need to go into what he had done for her.

"Ironic, I would say. You saved the world but it would appear that haven't managed to save anyone who truly matters."

If Lelouch needed more convincing that Clovis was his subconscious, all doubts were dashed away now. No one else would have brought forth such objective arguments to him except himself. They were all too blinded by their efforts to rescue him from himself. Lelouch scoffed humourlessly, "This is fate's punishment for me then."

"You could see it that way," Clovis mused, "Or you could see it as an opportunity." The third prince shrugged, an off-handed gesture that dismissed the look that his younger half-brother was giving him. "Well," the third prince continued. "You decided the stay for the month. What else, exactly, were you planning to do?"

* * *

><p>Kallen hugger her knees, having drawn her feet up on the base of the chair she was sitting on. She was done standing outside like a meek little girl. That wasn't who she was, and she wasn't about the let anyone, let alone Lelouch vi Britannia, reduce her to such. Minutes? Hours? She didn't know how long it had been since she was here. Time seemed like an irrelevant factor as she stared at the serene face of the man who helped her bring Ash into the world. For the umpteenth time, her eyes ran over every contour of his face: the subtle arch of his eyebrows, the curve that drew his closed eyes, the line that rose to the tip of his nose, the small downwards dip at the corners of his mouth. Looking at the sleeping visage of this undeniably striking prince, it was hard to imagine he was the same man who killed thousands of people in his grand spectacle to cast himself as the Demon Emperor of Britannia, a man whose infamy far overshadowed that of his father's. Charles zi Britannia only sought to conquer the world fair and square through war and political squabbles. Lelouch vi Britannia, on the other hand, wanted to rule the world through fear and death.<p>

But that wasn't before he freed the numbers and almost single-handedly wrung corruption out from the aristocrats of the country. He already had the benefit of the doubt from many leaders in the U.N.F. who thought Britannia was going to turn over a new leaf.

That was, of course, before he took them all hostage…

Under different circumstances, in a different time, in a kinder world, Kallen decided he would have made a great ruler. She vaguely recalled Cornelia saying something quite similar concerning Schneizel.

No, she corrected herself; he would have been a great ruler regardless.

But no.

The idiot decided to kill himself instead.

More depressed than she had been half a second ago, she lifted her chin and leaned back against the support of the chair. Before she realized it herself, she found herself staring quite shamelessly at his lips.

The lips that ordered massacres.

The same lips that oh so gently kissed her.

The temperature in the room rose by a degree or two as she graced her bottom lip with a feather light touch with the tip of her fingers. Unbidden, memories of a dim room flooded her mind. She remembered that night vividly like it was yesterday. Walking into the room was a fresh memory, just as she recalled him sitting coolly at his table, a crystal glass of amber gold liquid in one hand, unawares yet to her presence. Gone were the ceremonial robes of the Britannian emperor, he now appeared to be the man who once wore the name Lamperouge. She remembered noticing his white mantle sprawled across the ground near where he sat, and noting how unusual it was of him.

She remembered when he turned as she took another step. Her breath hitched when his violet eyes came to lay calmly on her. He wasn't even surprised. She, on the other hand, could feel her heart pounding in her chest, ready to leap right out of her. Her mouth ran dry.

She recalled shouting at herself inwardly. _Hurry, get this over with._

Kallen bit her lip and toyed with her own fingers. A small sense of guilt washed over her, a guilt that she had slowly grown unfeeling to as the years passed yet was now renewed. Despite of what people thought of her relationship with Lelouch and despite what Cornerlia had said about her being a miracle, the truth was…

The lips stirred, snapping the redhead back to reality. Very still in her seat, she could hardly do more than slide her feet back onto the ground as Lelouch roused.

A low groan sounded from the aristocrat, but it wasn't the kind that resulted from physical pain. It more of resembled a reluctance to move and get out of bed. It was a sound she was very familiar with, what with raising a six-year-old. Not for the first time, she was struck by their uncanny likeness. She should probably have alerted him of her presence. That was the polite thing to do, but she couldn't seem to find the right opportunity to do so before Lelouch had pushed himself up.

His eyes landed on her.

Surprise was followed by an ill-concealed frown.

A familiar spark of annoyance flared up within her. What in the… What the _hell_ did she do to deserve that kind of a first reaction? It took her years of slowly cultivated motherly patience to keep calm. Moving was good though. Suppressing never worked as well as redirecting.

Kallen moved off the chair towards the table. With deft fingers, she flipped over and overturned cup and filled it with water from the mug that had been placed beside it on a silver tray. Setting the glass mug back down on the table, she turned and offered the glass to her…

Um…

To Lelouch.

"Doctor's orders," Kallen lied, ignoring her mental falter. She half expected him to reject the cup for no other reason than refusal to be coddled but he quietly accepted it without comment. He took a mouthful while Kallen returned to the chair, trying not to acknowledge how… cold this interaction was. He hadn't even spoken a word.

Well, even if he didn't have anything to say, Kallen had a whole novel she wanted to recite.

"Lelouch," Kallen started with the pure intention of saying something that really did have matter substance but ended up following the word up with, "how are you feeling?"

Stupid mouth. She was stalling.

Lelouch had moved his legs over the side of the bed converted capsule. Hands holding the half empty glass, he rested his wrists on his knees, causing his long body to hunch a little where he sat. He didn't look up at her. His gaze was now fixated on the water instead.

God knew why that set her spark off even more. Not good. Kallen ran Ash's words through her head once more. _Do you think we can't understand Father's hurt?_ That's right. Lelouch was in an unconventional position. She had to allow him a little more tolerance. The last thing she wanted to do was stress the man out even more than he already was.

"You have to stop losing consciousness. Even Lloyd is starting to get worried," Kallen half joked with a weak smile, hoping to lighten the mood.

Again, no response.

She couldn't stop her own frown from forming.

At that point, she threw 'patience' out the window. Patience could go screw itself.

"Are we not going to talk?" she demanded, the hotness in her voice slowly ebbing into her syllables. "Is that how you plan on going through the time you're here? Entirely ignoring me?"

He lifted his chin and rewarded her with the courtesy of eye contact. _Finally. _

"Are you going to say anything?" Kallen asked.

He was conflicted. Something unsettling flickered behind his violet eyes, Kallen could tell that much. What it was, though, she couldn't tell. She could never tell when it came to this man. What she would give in exchange for the ability to read his thoughts. If only for a minute—even for a second. If only she could.

"About that night…" Lelouch said, averting his eyes again. Kallen could see the awkwardness that she couldn't hear. He took an audible breath before uttering the words that, little did the prince know, would shatter her already imperfect world.

"I'm sorry."

Her mouth fell open partway. Kallen shook her head, refusing to hear what he had just said. "What?" she muttered in disbelief. "You're sorry?"

"All these years, you've…"

"_No_," Kallen snapped sharply, probably more so than she intended. "You are _not _going to apologize like that night was some sort of… some sort of _mistake_—like Ash is a mistake."

_Correct me! Apologize for apologizing! Say I'm jumping to conclusions._ His eyes were on her again when she retorted but as the seconds ticked by, Lelouch did neither of the things she so desperately wanted him to do.

Which meant that he really did mean it that way, that he really did think it was a… a mistake.

"What am I to you, Lelouch?"

In the end, was she always what she suspected she was? A pawn on the board? Zero's best chess piece, Q-1?

She refused to believe that.

That night, she was sure that they shared something more intimate.

And she needed to hear him tell her that.

It didn't matter what she thought. None of it would count as facts until Lelouch confirmed it for her. It was so ironic. The man who was in front of her told more lies in his life than truths. By that account, his words were worthless. They were horrible, soulless and calculating. They were a means to a desirable end. Lelouch's words held no honour.

Yet, she needed to hear them. She wanted to be the person he didn't need to or want to lie to.

Without thinking but with a new boldness in her steps, Kallen moved purposefully towards Lelouch. She had no idea what it would achieve, but she did it anyway. Anything was better than doing nothing.

Kallen leaned down and their lips met.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Hey guys!

This update is _definitely_ not late because I recently got addicted to this amazing book called The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (Oh, the lies!). Brilliant book, I swear. Ending was a bit rushed and it started off a bit slow but honestly, it's been far too long since there was a book I couldn't put down. (Literally read till it was suddenly bright outside my window…) Avid fantasy readers, I give my recommendations! Also went through the first two instalments of the Fifty Shades of Grey series. It still amazes me how James was able to squeeze in a story in between every five pages of lemon lol.

Semester has started. Second week and oh lord, I've already skipped a whole night's worth of sleep for an assignment. I'm just about prepared to drop engineering and embrace my childhood dreams of joining the circus as an acrobat. Haha.

Anyways, this is also a slightly later update because I received a very legit thought from a review. This concerns the latest OVA by the Code Geass instalment, Code Geass: Akito the Exiled. As most of you guys know, I'm a Nazi when it comes to following canon information and the last few weeks, I've been throwing the idea around on whether I want to include this Julius Kingsley character in the plot for SecondGen.

So this is a formal statement that I'm aware of the OVA but I won't be considering it in this fanfic. There are, of course, a few reasons but for the most part, there just isn't enough information to go around. We've seen this Kingsley character a grand total of twice in the whole OVA and on both occasions, I get very conflicting ideas about him. The first scene suggests he's being held against his will while the second scene shows someone boasting about his position. While I'm aware this could be the result of the great acting skills of our favourite trickster but the question of his background is too open ended. Plus, there's some talk on the net that it might not even be him but I'm not sure. In any case, I don't see any of these questions clearing up any time soon so just keep in mind while reading SecondGen to pretend the Akito arc never happened. But thank you very much, **Dragon VS Phoenix** for your awesome review.

To **Guest**: I'm so sorry, I realized you're entirely right! I was so focused on this story being about family reconciliation that I entirely neglected the romance aspect. I shall make it up to you and all the other Kalulu fans out there! Daddy cuddles might be a little hard. Lelouch is still a work in progress lol.

To **KnightOfHolyLight**: Thanks, and thank _you_ for coming back to read lol. You're so suspicious of Schneizel! Hehe, well that's why C.C. is immortal. Gives her a certain advantage when being daring and audacious, but I'm sure Kallen will get her just rewards.

To **CheapSk33t**: I get my momentary bursts of productivity. Wish they happened more often.

To **FallenAngelitz**: Another one of those reviews that I can't help but smile when I think of and can't get out of my head. Thank you so much for coming back to read!

To **Kirinthor** and **AWANI** (formerly Tttt X3): Thank you all for sticking around to read the updates, despite how bad I am at consistent uploads D:

To **Guest**: It was a little challenging, to be sure, to juggle princely and childish charm. Still trying!

Again, thank you all for your reviews, as well as adding SecondGen (and myself) to your lists! I hope you continue to find reading Code Geass: SecondGed as interesting as I find writing it. I do enjoy hearing from you guys so do review!

Until inspiration visits me again,

Could be more Original.


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